Luo Yu-chun’s mid-range jumper with four seconds remaining lifted National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) to an 82-81 win over Chinese Culture University at Hsing Wu College in the University Basketball Association (UBA) tournament on Friday evening.
They were the only points the third-year guard netted, but enough to keep the defending champs (8-1) from dropping their second game of the competition and potentially falling out of first place in the standings with two games remaining in the 11-game first round of play.
“I was supposed to look for our big guys inside the paint for a better shot, but the opportunity was there, so I took it,” Luo said of his game-winning jumper.
His team will move to Changhua County’s Mingdao University today to play the final games of the first round.
In a game where they trailed virtually the entire way, NTNU were able to rise to the occasion in the final seconds for a knockout punch that destroyed Chinese Culture’s bid to overtake the top spot in the tournament.
A victory over the defending champions would also have avenged their loss in last season’s title game, which gave NTNU their first ever title. Instead, Chinese Culture will probably have to settle for third seed in the Elite Eight next February.
DIWAN 89, FU JEN 85
Tainan’s Diwan University pulled off an upset 89-85 win over Fu Jen Catholic University in overtime earlier on Friday to keep their hopes of an Elite Eight place alive.
What should have been an easy win for Fu Jen turned into a dogfight in which Diwan led most of the way before squandering a five-point lead in the closing minutes of the contest that sent the game into an extra session.
Point guard Su Yu-sheng’s clutch three-pointer with a foul turned into a four-point play for Diwan in overtime before fellow forward Huang Han-long nailed another three-pointer from the baseline with a minute remaining to seal the victory for the underdogs.
The loss marked Fu Jen’s third straight and their fourth in five games.
Friday’s other results:
• National Kaohsiung Normal University 94, Taipei Physical Education College 89
• National Taiwan University of Arts 121, National Donghwa University 68
• Mingdao University 83, Hsing Wu College 80
• National Taiwan College of Physical Education 80, National Taiwan Sport University 61
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