totositenet27   Album Posted Feb.25th, 2024, viewed 23 times

Manager Ahn Jun-ho's debut victory

The men's basketball team led by head coach Ahn Jun-ho defeated Thailand 96-62 in the second round of qualifying matches for Group A of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 at Wonju Gymnasium on the 25th. Korea suffered a come-from-behind defeat 71-85 in an away match against Australia on the 22nd. Korea had one win and one loss.

Coach Ahn Jun-ho, who took the helm of the Korean national team through a public offering in December last year, made his debut victory. Ra Gun-ah, who returned the national flag after this match, had a successful ending.

For South Korea, Lee Jung-hyun was excluded from the starting lineup due to a thigh injury. Oh Jae-hyun, Byun Joon-hyung, Yang Hong-seok, Kang Sang-jae and Ra Gun-ah were the starters.

With a full crowd in Wonju, they unilaterally cheered for Korea. Korea, which allowed two three-point shots first, overturned it to 8-6 due to Kang Sang-jae's consecutive fastball. A lot of support poured into Kang Sang-jae, the only starter who plays at home in Wonju.

Thailand, which has naturalized players and mixed players, attacked mainly on 3-point shots. Thailand's 3-point shots were more accurate than expected. Korea edged out 12-11 until midway through the first quarter.

The atmosphere changed as the Kim Jong-kyu and Ha Yoon-ki combination were put in at the same time. The two players, who combined height and mobility, dominated the rebound and led the fastball. Yang Hong-seok's 3-point shot quickly ended the first quarter with Korea widening the gap to 28-15.

Coach Ahn Joon-ho deployed various players except for Lee Jung-hyun, who was injured. Stars representing professional basketball, such as Lee Woo-suk and Song Kyo-chang, were deployed as second options. Han Hee-won also hit a three-point shot on the court for the first time in the middle of the second quarter. Due to the deep players, anyone could score a goal. With consecutive goals scored by Ra Gun-ah, Korea led the team by 24 points in the first half, 55-31.

At the start of the second half, he made his A-match debut as a pair with rookie Park Moo-bin and Oh Jae-hyun. Park's first three-point shot from the right corner became an air ball. Park, who defended enthusiastically, also committed his first foul. Park missed all four field throws.

Ha Yoon-ki's dunk shot pushed Korea to 72-42 at the end of the third quarter. The game is already decided. There is little chance to experience A-matches in Korea. Players who usually have difficulty finding practice opponents were meaningful in coordinating with each other.

The youngest Park Moo-bin scored his first goal for the national team with a no-mark under-the-goal shot in the middle of the fourth quarter. The atmosphere in Wonju heated up to the fullest. Cheering for "Dae~Korea," which was enjoyed only in soccer, rang out in the basketball court. Fans who visited the basketball court even charged their patriotism for the first time in a long time.

Ra Gun-ah, who stepped down from the national team due to the game, scored the most points with 15 points. Kim Jong-kyu, who played at home, also added 14 points. Ha Yoon-ki made a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Yang Hong-seok also added 13 points. Oh Jae-hyun and Song Kyo-chang scored at the end of the fourth quarter, and all 11 players in Korea scored.

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