A double-double performance by newcomer Keith Gayden, coupled with 15 points from Lin Yi-hui, propelled the Dacin Tigers past the previously unbeaten Taiwan Beer 84-81 at the National Yilan University Gymnasium in Yilan yesterday afternoon, bringing the Cats’ season record above .500 for the first time this year.
It was a big win for Dacin skipper Chiou Da-tsong as the Tigers improved to 3-2 for the season considering that his team began the highly anticipated season with a pair of ugly defeats.
Recently acquired guard Hsu Hao-cheng also had a big day at the office against his former club, netting 14 points and claiming four rebounds as his presence was missed by the Brew Crew.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
“I am happy with where I am, they [Taiwan Beer] were good to me over the years, but I know I must move on,” Hsu said after the game.
Dacin opened the contest with a surprising 8-0 run in the first three minutes, before settling for a 25-19 advantage by the end of the first quarter.
After the Tigers increased their lead to more than 10 with the stellar play of Lin, it was the Brew Crew’s turn to rally, closing out the first half trailing by seven.
Taiwan Beer would carry their momentum into the third quarter with a 12-1 run to lead the contest 50-48, before the Tigers fought back to claim a 63-62 lead heading into the decisive fourth.
Dacin managed to widen their lead to four with less than a minute remaining, only to see Taiwan Beer’s Yang Jing-min nail a three-pointer to pull within one with less than 30 seconds on the clock, but Hsu came to his new team’s rescue by converting a pair of free throws with 7.6 seconds left to seal the victory.
LUXGENS 79, KINMEN 72
The Yulon Luxgens bounced back nicely from an upset loss to Bank of Taiwan the previous night with a win over Kinmen Kaoliang in the second game yesterday.
Playing like they had something to prove, the defending champions were fired up against the Distillers, netting nearly 50 points in the first half while holding Kinmen Kaoliang to a season-low five in the second quarter for a commanding 48-23 cushion at the half.
Things did not look any better for Kinmen Kaoliang in a sloppy third quarter that saw the Luxgens up their lead by a deuce, before Kinmen Kaoliang finally awoke in the fourth with 33 points to make the final score look more respectable than it actually was.
All five of Yulon’s starters scored in double figures on the night, led by Wu Jien-long’s 16, while the Distillers looked to Shawn “the Hawk” Hawkins and Chang Rong-hsuen, who both scored a game-high 17 in a game that was decided long before the final buzzer.
PURE YOUTH 81, BANK OF TAIWAN 69
Pure Youth Construction easily handled Bank of Taiwan late last night to nip a two-game slide.
The Bankers were looking to make it two in a row for the first time this year, but that was not to be the case as the Builders led by nine after the first quarter and padded their lead to as large as 20 in the second half, before slipping a bit in a final quarter that had little bearing on the outcome.
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