This year’s Hualien Probation Cup Basketball Tournament got under way yesterday afternoon with Liaoning Pan Pan of China’s Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) downing Bank of Taiwan 85-52 at the Hualien County Sports Complex.
The four-day tournament that features six teams from either side of the Strait saw the Chinese visitors dominating the Bankers in a high-scoring first quarter that ended with Pan Pan up 25-12.
The Bankers regained some poise behind 10 points by Chuang Hsiao-wen in the second quarter, but the visitors still kept the advantage at 38-31 at the half, with a superior inside attack that featured the twin towers of Han Deh-jun and Gu Li-yeh standing at 2.15m and 2.08m.
The Chinese team then erupted for 21 third-quarter points to lead it 59-43 through the third before pulling away with a monstrous 26-point fourth (compared with the Bankers’ dismal 9) to win it by a landslide.
LUXGENS 72, JIN QIANG 64
The Yulon Luxgens made sure the Chinese didn’t take both games on the opening day, winning the evening game against the Sichuan Jin Qiang 72-64 to open the tournament on a high note.
Sichuan took a 21-17 lead after the opening quarter behind seven points from forward He Hsiao-bin.
However, Lin Guan-luen of the Luxgens returned the favor with a pair of three-pointers in a nine-point second quarter to help the hosts erase the first-quarter deficit and lead it 30-29 at the half.
Four three’s from long range by Yulon kept the Chinese from any serious comeback attempts in the third as the Luxgens widened their margin by a half-dozen in the quarter and held on to win it by eight in the fourth.
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