Outstanding three-point shooting by the Yulon Luxgens in the first half helped them build an early advantage and they went on to top the Dacin Tigers 76-64 at the Taipei Municipal Gymnasium on Friday, claiming a standings lead for the first time this season.
With Dacin holding a slim half-game lead over the second-place Luxgens, both squads knew heading into the game that a win by Yulon would mean a swap in the standings.
That was enough to motivate the three-time champs as they outgunned a Tigers pack with 10 big threes to take the top spot in the standings away from Dacin for the first time this season.
“We knew we had to shut down their three-point attack, but I didn’t think we would end up using our three-point shooting to beat them,” Yulon skipper Chang Hsueh-lei said after the game.
His Luxgens actually beat the Tigers at what was supposed to be their strength.
Aided by six points from speedy guard Su Yi-jeh, the Tigers opened the game with a gang-busting 8-0 run before the Luxgens converted four of five three-point attempts on a 14-2 run of their own to close out the first quarter with a 20-19 lead.
Quick releases by the guards led to several fast break baskets on the other end of the floor, fueling a high-percentage Luxgens attack in a hard fought second quarter that Tseng Wen-ding ended with a strong, two-handed stuff to give them a 41-35 lead at the half.
That was more than ample for Yulon as they continued to challenge the Tigers’ ability to defend against the transition game with one fast break after another in the second half to run the Tigers off the court.
All five of the Yulon starters scored in double digits, with Tseng leading the way with 16 points.
As for the Tigers, a cold-stricken Tien Lei struggled on a rare 0-for-8 shooting performance as the cats succumbed to a near-flawless Luxgens crew.
BANK OF TAIWAN 91, LEOPARDS 89
Bank of Taiwan upset the favored Taiwan Mobile Leopards with four solid quarters of play in a 91-89 final on Friday to earn their second win of the season.
The win not only set the Bankers off to a great start this week, but also snapped an eight-game losing skid for them that dated back to Jan. 18.
Hsu Chih-chiang was the hero of the game for the Bankers as he nailed two clutch shots in the final minute to keep the Leopards from tying the game. He ended up with a game-high 24 points and nine rebounds, while fellow forward Chen Hsuen-shiang chipped in 21 in a game they seemed destined to win.
Even though the Leopards came back from deficits as large as 10 points in the second half with a strong showing by center Mario Boggan that helped them narrow the lead to two points in the closing seconds, their three final attempts for a tie failed.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
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