The YMY's Luo "The Natural" Hsin-liang was named the Super Basketball League's Player of the Week after he drained a pair of three-point shots in the final two minutes of a game against the previously undefeated Videoland Hunters last Sunday.
Luo's second clutch shot from beyond the arc forced a 77-all tie with under 50 seconds left to play, setting the stage for YMY's amazing 24-point comeback rally and the win.
Despite only having eight points and two rebounds, Luo won the hearts of the local media for his heroics, earning him a unanimous decision for the weekly honor.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SBL
"I'm actually quite surprised by it [winning the Player of the Week distinction], since I didn't have the big numbers and I can name at least a couple of other guys on the team who are also as deserving," Luo said.
The win was especially sweet for coach Liu Jung-ching, since his club did not break into the win column until the 13th game in a dismal 3-27 season last year.
Luo has also played a critical role in providing guidance to the group of rookies and second-year men that make up for the majority of this year's YMY roster.
YMY will next face the Bank of Taiwan at the Taipei College of Physical Education Gymnasium tonight.
This will be a good opportunity for YMY to prove that they are for real. The bankers (1-2), meanwhile, will no doubt be looking to balance their account by depositing another win.
Gaining control of the boards will be the key to success, since neither club is known for a dominant perimeter game.
The schedule is not particularly kind to YMY, as they play Game 2 of a three-game week tomorrow against Taiwan Beer, ahead Sunday's Christmas gift -- the feisty Dacin Tigers.
The brew masters and the big cats are heavy favorites since Taiwan Beer has the league's scoring champ over the past two seasons in Lin "The Beast" Chih-jeh and the Tigers have Tien Lei, who was voted the league's Most Valuable Player for the past two seasons.
Tomorrow's showdown between the Tigers and the Hunters and Sunday's battle between Taiwan Beer and the defending champion Yulon Dinos are likely to be standing-room-only affairs.
The Tigers are coming off a perfect 2-0 week with solid victories over the ETTV Antelopes and the bankers last weekend. This will be the first real test for the Tigers since their one-point, season-opening loss to the Dinos two weeks ago.
As for the Hunters, nothing would please first-year coach Chou Hai-rong more than a win against the team that knocked the Hunters out of the playoffs last year.
The clash between two very different styles of play will be evident when the Tigers pit their three-point shooters against the Hunters' solid low-post, half-court game.
The beermen may enjoy a slight advantage in Sunday's battle against the Dinos since they will have only played one game for the week, compared with the Dinos' two games.
The beermen will need to contain Dinos All-Star center Tseng Wen-ding for any hope of defeating the two-time defending SBL champions.
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