Orions Beat Thunders, Halt Skid
By Jonathan Sanfilippo
Staff Reporter
With their star point guard Kim Seung-hyun unable to play because of an injury, the Daegu Orions need some of their other guards to step up and perform well if they're going to be competitive in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) this season.
On Thursday night, Kim Byung-chul and Jeong Jae-ho responded to that challenge.
The duo combined to pour in 39 points and dish out 13 assists to help the Orions earn a 91-85 victory against the Seoul Samsung Thunders at the Jamsil Gymnasium.
''He (Kim Seung-hyun) is a big part of our team, and when he went out, it affected us,'' Orions forward Leon Trimmingham said. ''But I think everyone else is learning to step up and contribute.''
Kim, who is 1.85 meters tall, sparked the Orions (3-5) by scoring 21 points, while making 13 of his 17 free-throw attempts, including five free throws during the final 38 seconds to help seal the win. He also contributed five assists and four rebounds.
Meanwhile, the 1.8-meter Jeong finished with 18 points, while shooting 3-for-5 from 3-point range. He had eight assists and four steals.
While Kim and Jeong did most of their damage by making shots from the perimeter and distributing the ball in the open court, Trimmingham helped the Orions in the post. He finished with 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting to go with 12 rebounds.
''I'm pretty pleased,'' Trimmingham said. ''I'm always happy to get a win.''
After trailing 44-38 at halftime, the Orions opened the third quarter with a 21-8 run. Kim scored nine points during that stretch, including a pair of free throws that capped the run and gave the Orions a 59-52 lead with 4:01 remaining in the third.
The Thunders (4-4) responded by going on a 10-2 run that culminated with a pair of free throws by Terrence Leather that allowed them to reclaim the lead, 64-63, with 1:37 left in the third.
But the Orions answered, as Trimmingham scored four straight points, and Oh Yong-jun added a basket with 24 seconds left in the third to put them up 69-64 at the end of the period.
After the Orions fell behind again, 70-69, early in the fourth, Trimmingham made a pair of baskets to give them a 73-70 advantage with 6:40 to play, and they were able to maintain the lead the rest of the way.
''We just decided we were going to come out and play harder,'' Trimmingham said of the Orions' strong second half. ''We just tried to focus and concentrate.''
Leather led the Thunders with 29 points and 11 rebounds. Lee Kyu-sup finished with 21 points, while Lee Sang-min had eight points and 15 assists.