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29 August, 2015
05 September
7 Ajeong KANG (Korea)
31/08/2015
Game Report
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Korea get a win on the board after routing Thailand

WUHAN (2015 FIBA Asia Women's Championship) - It took long enough, but Korea finally entered the win column with their maiden win over hapless Thailand, 97-41, in Level I (Group A) of the 2015 FIBA Asia Women’s Championship.

Coach We Sung-Woo’s ladies didn’t waste much time before turning this game into a blowout, outscoring the Thais, 23-9, in the first quarter and then continuing to build on that the rest of the way.

Kang A-Jeong exploded with 30 points for Korea, which has a chance to win two more games when they take on Chinese Taipei and India in the last two days of group play. Kang was backstopped by 16-year-old Park Ji-Su, who tallied 12 points and 13 rebounds.

On the other end, Thailand's efforts were exemplified by Aungkana Buapa and Kloyjai Phetsaenkha, who scored 9 and 8 points respectively. Coach Pojana SujaritWibool's team shot a dismal 18/60 from the field and turned the ball over 28 times.

Turning Point: The only time it seemed like Thailand would make a game of this was when Pakladathanan Thiratananitiworachot nailed a jump shot with 3:14 left in the first quarter to trim their deficit, 9-14. After that, though, Korea turned the heat on even more, going on a 9-0 spurt to end the first ten minutes of play and, more importantly, take the wind out of Thailand’s sails.

Stats Don't Lie: An interesting statistic here is how Thailand shot just 2 free throws for the entire game. That’s a testament to two things: how Korea defended tightly but without the need to foul, and how Thailand was lacking in aggressiveness in attacking the basket.

Game Hero: Without a doubt, the 30-point effort of Kang A-Jeong was enough to make her the the victors’ hero for this game. Prior to this contest, Kang was putting up just 3.0 points per game, but her scoring binge will definitely make Korea’s future opponents take notice. The way she did it was equally amazing, too! She connected seven times from beyond the arc.

The Bottom Line: Korea needed a win, and this one came at a very good time as they head into a pivotal joust with Chinese Taipei on Day Four. With this win, Korea enter the next two days full of confidence. Thailand, meanwhile, failed to gather any momentum heading into their important game against India tomorrow.

FIBA