Pure Youth Construction bounced back from an embarrassing thrashing by the Dacin Tigers last weekend to humble the previously red-hot Bank of Taiwan 102-80 at the Kaohsiung Fengshan Gymnasium last night.
It was a big win for the Builders, halting a recent slump with a confidence-booster as the season winds down.
James Mao led a balanced Pure Youth attack with a club-high 19 points as five different players managed double-digit scores.
Hired gun and rebounder extraordinaire Rashad Jones-Jennings chipped in 16 points and a game-high 13 boards on the night.
“It was a big win for us because we had worked hard all week to try to get back on track,” Mao said after the game.
His team’s victory opened a three-game lead over the Tigers with eight games remaining in the regular season.
Pure Youth came out ready to play with 28 quick points in the opening quarter to enjoy a commanding 28-11 lead over the Bankers.
Bank of Taiwan poured in 25 points in a high-scoring second quarter compared with the Builders 22 to regain some of their poise in a 50-36 affair at the half.
That was the extent that the Bankers were in the game as the Builders erupted for 31 in the third to lead by as many as 28 before both coaches decided to send in the second team to run out the clock in the fourth in a game that was won by the Builders long before the final buzzer.
Bank of Taiwan never seemed comfortable despite having won three straight in a perfect weekend of play last week.
Bank of Taiwan were thoroughly outplayed in every facet of the game on a night when not much went right for them.
They were outrebounded by a huge 44-26 margin, a statistical category that they usually dominate.
“We really did not do a good job taking care of the ball and the glass today,” Taiwan Bank skipper Lai Liang-chung said after the game.
KINMEN 83, TAIWAN BEER 75
Last-placed Kinmen Kaoliang upset top-ranked Taiwan Beer in the night’s second game in Kaohsiung.
A 6-0 run by Kinmen Kaoliang midway through the fourth proved decisive as they broke a 71-all tie in a winning effort.
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