Overcoming a double-digit deficit in the first quarter, Taiwan Beer managed to keep pace with a resilient Yulon crew through the third, before exploding for 33 points in the fourth on their way to topping the Luxgens 100-95 at the Sinjhuang Sports Complex in New Taipei City last night.
The win not only extended the Brew Crew’s winning streak to six straight, but it also improved their record to 9-7, a season-best two games over .500, as they look to remain among the top four teams in the league after a horrendous 2-8 start.
Newcomer Kibwe Trim from Trinidad turned in another fine performance for skipper Yen Jia-hua with 25 points and 13 rebounds to lead the men in the green uniforms, carrying the team at key junctures in the game to deny the Luxgens a chance for a late-game comeback.
Also starring for Taiwan Beer was fellow forward Cheng “Qoo” Ren-wei, who showed off his versatility with a pair of threes and two field goals, and was 8 for 10 from the free-throw line as he racked up 18 points to complement Trim’s career night.
After blowing an early lead with a dismal second quarter, Yulon flashed signs of brilliance behind the solid three-point shooting of Lu Cheng-rue (31 points to keep his team in the game midway through the fourth, before Taiwan Beer pulled off an 8-0 run to gain the separation necessary to garner the win.
Pure Youth 80, Kinmen Liquor 60
Pure Youth Construction held an injury-plagued Kinmen Kaoliang team to a record-low 17 points in the first half as they went on to defeat the Distillers by 20 points and remain atop the standings in the first game in Sinjhuang yesterday afternoon.
In their first game since the All-Star break, the Builders did not exactly have a good start as they turned the ball over four times in the opening frame and were held to 16 points in the quarter against a Kinmen Kaoliang lineup that was missing starters Anthony Fuqua, Shang Wei-fan and Chou Tzu-hua.
However, the Builders quickly rediscovered their range in the second quarter, with Huang Chi-fong and Tso Tsong-kai combining for 14 points to spark a 23-11 run as they closed out the half with a 39-17 lead.
That was more than ample to secure the victory for Pure Youth despite an outstanding showing by Kinmen Kaoliang rookie forward Liu Tseng in the second half, who ended up with a game-high 25 points (also a season-high) in a losing effort.
Tigers 71, Bank of Taiwan 53
The Dacin Tigers nipped a four-game losing skid with an easy double-digit win over Bank of Taiwan in the second game in Sinjhuang yesterday afternoon.
Coach Huang Wan-long’s debut was a hit as his Big Cats warded off the Bankers with a great second quarter to take a seven-point lead en route a convincing win.