S. Korea beats Malaysia to begin women's basketball tournament
Lee Hae-ran of Korea, right, tries to drive past Trixie Teo Yi Hao of Malaysia during the teams' Group C game of the women's basketball tournament at the Asian Games at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 18. Yonhap
NAGOYA, Japan — South Korea overcame early shooting woes to defeat Malaysia 106-40 to start its women's basketball competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan on Friday.
Guard Lee So-hee led all players with 21 points and four steals, while forward Choi I-saem contributed 19 points and seven rebounds in the team's first Group C game at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, central Japan. Six South Korean players scored in double figures.
South Korea will next play Mongolia at 1 p.m. Monday and then Chinese Taipei at 4 p.m. Tuesday. All basketball games during the Asian Games will be played at Aichi International Arena.
Coached by Park Soo-ho, South Korea is trying to improve on the bronze medal it won at the 2023 Asiad. In 2018, the joint South Korea-North Korea team grabbed silver behind China.
South Korea's last gold in women's hoops came in 2014 on its home soil of Incheon.
South Korea is carrying 11 players in Nagoya, one fewer than the maximum, after its star center Park Ji-su was ruled out with an ankle injury on Monday and the national federation chose not to name her replacement.
Coach Park is also without guard Park Ji-hyun, the only South Korean player currently in the Women's National Basketball Association. The 26-year-old player is in the middle of her first season with the Los Angeles Sparks.
Captain Kang Lee-seul remained on the bench to nurse an Achilles injury but she said afterward she will be ready to play against Mongolia.
South Korea did not make a field goal in the first four minutes of the game, going 0-of-9 before Heo Ye-eun sank a layup at 5:54 mark.
Coach Park subbed out his entire starting lineup in search of a spark, and forward Choi Isaem provided just that with a three-pointer to put South Korea up 9-8 at 3:58. And South Korea did not trail the rest of the game.
Hong Yu-sun stole the ensuing inbound pass and made an easy layup for quick two points, as South Korea closed the first quarter on a 16-2 run for a 22-10 lead.
With its suffocating, full-court press, South Korea collected seven steals in the opening quarter alone.
South Korea blew the game wide open in the second quarter as it found its shooting rhythm. South Korea made 12 of its first 15 attempts from the field in the frame, including 6-of-6 from downtown, to extend its lead to 52-20 with 2:36 left in the first half. South Korea took a comfortable 59-22 lead into the second half.
South Korea opened the third quarter with a 15-3 run to open up a 74-25 lead midway through the frame.
Lee So-hee caught fire in the final quarter with eight points inside the first four minutes, and South Korea crossed the century mark in points on Jeong Hyun's three-pointer with 4:20 left in the game.