BNK head coach Park Jung-eun praises her players.
Busan BNK won 59-58 against Yongin Samsung Life in the second round of the Woori Bank Woori WON 2023-2024 Women’s Professional Basketball League on Monday at Sajik Indoor Gymnasium in Busan. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the team, which recorded its third win of the season (4-0).
In the first quarter, BNK came out firing. Taking advantage of Samsung Life’s poor shooting, Jin-an attacked the basket and Lee So-hee supported her from the outside. Ahn Hye-ji also contributed with five rebounds and three assists. With a 21-10 BNK lead, the second quarter saw 현금홀덤사이트 Samsung Sinsung fight back. Lee Hae-ran showed off her offensive prowess, and players from both inside and outside played well. Midway through the second quarter, with the score tied at 26-26, the two teams continued to play a seesaw game in a somewhat stagnant situation.
The lull continued into the third quarter, which started with BNK taking a 34-31 lead. At the halfway point of the third quarter, a back-to-back three-pointer by Shin Isul gave Samsung Life the lead for the first time, 39-38, but the lead was short-lived. Lee So-hee scored to tie the game at 43-43.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, three-pointers by Kim Dan-bi and Shin Yi-sul gave Samsung Sinsung a one-point lead. BNK struggled with foul trouble in the third minute of the fourth quarter, but they tried to catch up with Jin An and Ahn Hye-ji. With seven seconds left in the game, BNK trailed by one point (57-58). On the offensive end, Ahn Hye-ji made a steal and a layup to turn the tide.
After the game, head coach Park Jung-jeong said, “I want to praise the team for executing our preparation well and taking control of the game early on. Sometimes we don’t feel well during the game, but everyone was focused. We prepared together and got the win we wanted.”
Before the match, Park said of Park Sung-jin, “We’ve been working hard on defense, fitness, and speed. Depending on how well Sung-jin holds up, (Han’s) thumb will also be under less pressure.”
Park added, “Sung-jin worked a lot on defense. He did a good job. He played a big role in the win,” Park said, praising Park Sung-jin (4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 blocked shot in 29:35).
When asked about Jinan’s two missed free throws at the end of the game, he laughed and said, “I wasn’t surprised because it happens all the time,” adding, “I’m sure he’s upset. He played a lot today and did a good job under the basket. It must have been hard for her physically and mentally. I want to give them credit for what they did today.”
BNK committed 16 turnovers in the game, including seven in the second quarter when they allowed the lead to slip away. “We had a lot of turnovers today,” Park said. Turnovers come when your body is tired and you’re in a hurry. In that case, we need to use spacing to get open looks.”
Meanwhile, Samsung Life, which failed to win back-to-back games, dropped to 4-4 on the season.
Coach Lim Geun-bae said after the game, “The players worked hard. I wasn’t able to prepare more,” he said after the game.
As for the last-minute mistake, he said, “It was a story. I decided to pass quickly and draw a foul, but the pass went to (Bae) Hye Yoon-i. It was a lack of concentration overall,” he said, encouraging that “whether you’re a male or female athlete, when you’re in a hurry, you can lose your mind.”
“She shot 11 (two-pointers) today and made two. It wasn’t going to be easy. Hye-yoon is a veteran, so she will be ready for the next game.”
When asked about Yun Yebin (12 points, three rebounds, two assists, including two three-pointers, in 20 minutes, four seconds), who played her second game after returning from injury, Lim said, “She’s still not (fully fit). When Yebin comes in, we can defend the opponent’s 180-centimeter player and get strength from the inside. It’s good for the team to have him on the team.”
Finally, Hae-ran said, “My offense and defense have improved a lot. On offense, we just need to improve our skills. However, in defense, I lose my concentration in the moment, and sometimes I forget to do what I’m supposed to do. Still, I’m becoming a more central player in the team. If she opens her eyes more to assisted passes, she will be a hard player to stop.”