Placing five players in double-digit scoring, Bank of Taiwan outlasted Kinmen Kaoliang in a very physical contest to run away with a 90-77 victory at the Kao-hsiung Fongshan Gymnasium last night.
It was not only the Bankers’ first win in the Year of the Rabbit after dropping two straight when play resumed last weekend, but also their sixth win of the Super Basketball League season, two more than the four total victories they had last season.
Newcomer John Vaudreuil led the pack of double-digit scorers for the Bankers with 23 points on the night, thanks to a nine-point fourth in which the US forward met little resistance inside the paint, with Kinmen Kaoliang’s Shawn “the Hawk” Hawkins fouling out midway through the quarter.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE
The Hawk would end the night with a monstrous line, scoring a game-high 32 points on 13-of-20 shooting, including five-of-eight from beyond the arc, despite spending a season-high 11 minutes on the bench due to foul trouble. He also finished with 11 rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
The contest began with Hawkins downing 11 of Kinmen Kaoliang’s first 24 points in a high-scoring first quarter that saw them lead 24-23, before Bank of Taiwan answered with a strong second quarter to close out the first half with a 47-42 advantage.
The Distillers managed to pull within one of the Bankers by the end of the third, with Chang Rong-hsuen and Chen Jing-huan netting nine and eight points respectively while the Hawk was being closely guarded by the Bankers.
With a quick start in the fourth from the 10 points by Hawkins, Kinmen Kaoliang actually led by as many as six.
However, the lead proved insufficient with the Hawk — the Distillers’ best scorer — fouling out near the five-minute mark, leaving the inside wide open for Vaudreuil to do as he pleased, adding 13 boards — including six off the offensive glass — en route to a Bankers victory.
PAINFUL LOSS
“Losing our top scorer [Hawkings] that early really hurt us today,” Kinmen Kaoliang coach Luo Tien-jin said after the game.
The quick whistles from the officiating crew also drew the attention of several players from both teams as they were hit with a total of 48 fouls between them.
Pure Youth 87, Leopards 63
Pure Youth Construction dominated the Taiwan Mobile Leopards from the get-go as they took a 19-13 lead after the first quarter and went on to defeat the Leopards in the second match in Kaohsiung last night.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
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