Anyang KGC, competing in the 42nd William Jones Cup International Basketball Tournament, rode an even performance from its players to defeat Qatar for its third straight win.
KGC 텍사스홀덤 defeated Qatar 91-79 in a dominant performance that saw five players score in double figures in the fifth game of the tournament at Heping Gymnasium in Taipei, Taiwan today (Nov. 18).
KGC, led by head coach Kim Sang-sik, represented Korea in the William Jones Cup as the ‘2022-2023’ KBL Unified Champions.
The game was highlighted by the performance of forward Jung Hyo-geun, who played an ace role with 26 points, knocking down four three-pointers in the ring. Park Ji-hoon (14 points), Jung Jun-won (12 points), Ko Chan-hyuk (14 points), and Duvon Maxwell (14 points) also reached double digits.
With the win, KGC remained in third place with a 5-1 record.
With a starting lineup of Park Ji-hoon, Jung Jun-won, Bae Byung-joon, Kim Kyung-won, and Duvon Maxwell, KGC unexpectedly struggled in the first quarter. Although Jung Hyo-geun led the way with two three-pointers, the team struggled to find their rhythm under the basket and fell behind 25-26.
But in the second quarter, the ‘Hero of the Japanese War’ Ko Chan-hyuk came to the rescue again, scoring eight points with two three-pointers and a layup to turn the tide and end the period with a 49-45 lead.
In the third quarter, Jung Jun-won scored 10 points to break Qatar’s resolve to catch up, further widening the gap to 70-61.
The fourth quarter belonged to Park Ji-hoon, who has been the ace of the tournament. Park scored eight points in five minutes to seal the win, while Maxwell, Jung Hyo-geun, and Jung Jun-won played solid defense to keep the deficit to a minimum.
KGC, who went into ‘serious mode’ after their hard-fought victory over Japan, have continued their dominant performance against the Philippines yesterday and today. The new-look KGC will face the Taiwanese B team and the Taiwanese A team back-to-back this weekend.