Stellar efforts by Chen Hsuen-shiang and Chuang Hsiao-wen brought Bank of Taiwan to life as they scored a season-high 88 points to down the Yulon Luxgens 88-74 at the Taipei Gymnasium last night.
It was the best game that the Bankers’ scoring tandem have had through the first 10 games this season as they combined for a jaw-dropping 40 points on the night to embarrass the Luxgens.
“We knew we had to come out fighting if we were to have a chance to win,” Chen said after the game and his 14 first-half points did just that as the Bankers took a surprising 48-30 lead at the half.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
While Chen accounted for a good portion of the Bankers’ scoring in the first half, the second half definitely belonged to Chuang as the forward netted 15 of his game-high 21 points in the last two quarters to deny the Luxgens any chance of a comeback.
Also starring for Bank of Taiwan was newcomer John Vaudreuil, who might not have been spectacular statistically, with 15 points and 10 rebounds on the night, but more than made up for it with his inside presence that certainly disrupted the Luxgens’ normal offensive flow.
“I feel a lot more active today compared to the first game,” Vaudreuil said during a brief interview at halftime.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
It was only his second game in Taiwan since arriving to replace the injured Jason Faulknor on Sunday.
In the Luxgens’ defense, the defending champions were playing without three of their usual starting five, with Chen Chih-chung and Lee Chih-yi out with injury and illness, while All-Star center Tseng Wen-ding has left for the rest of the season to pursue a career in the Chinese Basketball Association.
Other than Yulon team captain Yang Tseh-yi’s team-high 19 points and guard Wu Fong-cheng’s 12-point fourth that helped reduce to 10 a second-half deficit that got as wide as 26 points, the game was all Bank of Taiwan the entire way.
The Bankers also out-rebounded the Luxgens 44 to 23, showing how much the defending champs miss Tseng.
Yesterday’s late game:
‧ Taiwan Beer 102, Kinmen 94
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