Pro basketball’s Jung Kwan-jang defeats Hyundai Mobis to reach cup final 4(종합)
Defending professional basketball champion Anyang Jung Kwan-jang is in a good position to advance to the fourth round of the MG Saemaul Money KBL Cup.
Led by Park Ji-hoon’s 16 points and five assists, the defending champions defeated Ulsan Hyundai Mobis 91-84 in Group D of the tournament at Wolmyeong Gymnasium in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do, on Monday.
With only two teams in Group D, Jungkwanjang and Hyundai Mobis will play a single game on Nov. 11 to decide who will advance to the quarterfinals. In the event of a 1-1 tie, a lottery will be held to determine the quarterfinalists.
After reaching the top of the 2022-2023 season, Jung Kwan-jang made a major change to his roster. The team’s pillar, Oh Se-geun, was transferred to Seoul SK, and the team lost some of its top players, including Yang Hee-jong’s retirement and Byun Jun-hyung’s enlistment.
Instead, the team brought in Choi Sung-won from SK and Lee Jong-hyun from Busan KCC to overhaul their lineup.
Choi had 14 points, including two three-pointers, to spark the offense. Lee Jong-hyun added four points in seven minutes and 56 seconds of action.
In Group B, Busan KCC defeated Daegu KOGAS 98-78, a 20-point victory, behind the contributions of Choi Jun-yong, Ragan-ah, and Heo Woong.
Choi, who switched from Seoul SK this season, scored 26 points, including three three-pointers.
Ragan-ah, who represented his country at the Hangzhou Asian Games, warmed up with eight points and seven rebounds. Heung also chipped in with 12 points.
Led by the duo, KCC took the lead from the start of the first quarter and never tied the game en route to their first win.
GAS’s Isaiah Hicks injured his Achilles tendon during the game and was benched after playing just 1 minute and 22 seconds, putting a dark cloud over acting head coach Kang Hyuk’s face.
Anthony Moss (19 points, 15 rebounds) stepped in after Hicks went down with the injury, but KCC couldn’t keep up. 파워볼게임