KU pulls out a thrilling win in the first rivalry game of the season. Head coach Joo Hee-jung said three-point shooting was the difference in the game.
Korea University won 62-45 at home against Yonsei University in the 2023 KUSF College Basketball U-League at Hwajung Gymnasium on Nov. 25. KU secured a thrilling victory in its first meeting with rival Yonsei this season.
“Before the game, I told the players that the game would be decided by the three-point shot,” said head coach Joo Hee-jeong after the game, “and we struggled (early in the game). But the players were focused, and then the three-pointers came, and we were able to play well.”
The teams exchanged points in the first quarter and were evenly matched. However, KU took an early lead in the second quarter, holding their opponents to four points. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the score reached double digits (60-30), and all the starters were able to get playing time due to the relaxed game management.
“The other team came out with a lot of preparation,” said Joo Hee-jung. We had a lot of luck. All of our players and coaches worked hard to prepare for the opponent’s moves.”
The college league took a short break in mid-May (5/13-5/23). This was because the Korea-Japan University Selection Basketball 스포츠토토 Tournament (hereinafter referred to as the “Lee Sangbaekbae”), which was held for the first time in four years, was held for three days from the 19th of this month. True to its reputation as a powerhouse, Korea University had the most players selected for the tournament. Four of the final 12 players (Park Mubin, Moon Jung-hyun, Yang Jun, and Kim Tae-hoon) were from KU. Coach Kim Tae-hong was also named to the coaching staff.
Training camps were held every weekend when there was no league schedule. The team was expected to minimize leakage. However, the tournament with the pride of both countries was held for three consecutive days. The players must have been exhausted. How were the players’ physical condition less than a week after the tournament?
“Fortunately, the first-year players’ varsity call-up day is tomorrow (26th), so today (25th) was a good day for them to get in shape. (Considering their physical condition), we did more video analysis than exercise. It was mainly due to the point-by-point coaching,” he said about the players’ physical condition.