The Kaohsiung Aquas on Saturday rallied in the final minute of the T1 League opener to edge the Taiwan Beer Herobears 107-106 in a nail-biter in Taipei.
The game at the University of Taipei’s Tianmu campus gymnasium was the opener of the new six-team league’s inaugural season. The 3,456 fans in attendance, about 80 percent of capacity, were treated to a game of huge swings decided in its final seconds.
The Herobears were up by four with less than 90 seconds remaining, when the Aquas’ Filipino-American guard Jason Brickman nailed a three-pointer to narrow the deficit to 104-103.
Photo:Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
A lay-up by Herobears captain Chiang Yu-an widened the lead to three, but American Ferrakohn Hall pulled the Aquas even at 106 with a bomb from behind the arc.
With 10 seconds left, Brickman drew the defense toward him before dishing the ball to Lithuanian Mindaugas Kupsas, who was fouled while taking a shot. Kupsas sank the first free-throw, but missed the second, giving the Aquas a 107-106 lead.
The Herobears grabbed the rebound, but missed a desperation shot just before the buzzer.
Herobears center Diamond Stone of the US led all scorers with 44 points and also snagged 13 rebounds.
Brickman, known for his passing and playmaking ability, led with eight assists.
Aquas head coach Brendan Joyce, the former head coach of the Australian Opals, said he was happy with the win and how the team’s plans came together.
“We talked about having to play to the last possession before the game, and it came down to that, so I’m very happy for the players,” Joyce said. “It’s our first win, but it’s only the beginning.”
The Herobears had sped off to a 14-point lead after the first quarter, but found themselves down by 10 after a disastrous third quarter in which they only scored 11 points.
They came back and gave themselves a shot to win in the final minutes before the Aquas rallied.
In the league’s second game, the Herobears on Saturday face the CTBC DEA in New Taipei City.
The T1 League is one of two professional basketball leagues in Taiwan, along with the P.League+, which starts on Saturday in Taipei.
TAIWANESE EXITS: Fellow Australian Christopher O’Connell joined Tristan Schoolkate as a winner following his 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Tseng Hsin-chun Australian qualifier Tristan Schoolkate on Monday dispatched rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 at the ATP Toronto Masters, ensuring a breakthrough into the world top 100. The 24-year-old from Perth moved to 98th in the ongoing live rankings as he claimed his biggest career victory by knocking out the ATP NextGen champion from November last year. Schoolkate, son of a tennis coach, won his first match over a top-50 opponent on his sixth attempt as he ousted the world No. 49 teenager from Brazil. The qualifier played a quarter-final this month in Los Cabos and won through qualifying for his
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with