“We won the game, but we are quite dissatisfied.”
Dongguk University won its first game against Myeongji University 89-65, a 24-point victory, in the first round of Group A qualifiers for the 40th MBC Bae National Collegiate Basketball Championship at Sangju Indoor Gymnasium on Sunday.
This is the first time Dongguk University has won its first game in the MBC qualifiers since 2017. Back then, the team defeated Hanyang University 92-89 and then defeated Chosun University 76-65 to advance to the finals tournament with a 2-1 record. Dongguk hasn’t made it to the final tournament since.
Dongguk University, which is looking to make its first Final Four appearance in seven years, struggled to get going, trailing 18-26 with eight minutes left in the second quarter. From there, however, they turned the tide. They outscored Myungji University 17-3 over the remaining eight minutes of the second quarter. With the momentum revitalized, Dongguk University pushed Myeongji University hard in the third quarter and came away with the win.
“We won the game, but I’m quite dissatisfied,” said coach Lee Ho-geun after the victory. ”In the first half, we had a difficult game because of rebounding (20-24). Shots could go in or not. We were worried because we had an injured player (Yoo Jung-won’s shoulder injury), but the players did a good job,” he said after the victory.
Dongguk University held a 38-35 rebounding advantage, but was outrebounded 14-18 on offensive rebounds. June Harrigan alone had eight offensive rebounds. Dongguk University’s next opponent is Freddie’s KU. They need to improve.
“We need to prepare for defensive changes,” said Lee, ”and if we can’t get high, we need to look underneath. We can’t do anything from above, but we have 메이저사이트 to participate from the outside (guards) and grab it from below,” emphasizing the guards’ participation in rebounding.
Baek Seung-yup is out of the tournament due to injury. Yoon Jun-sik (10 points, four rebounds, five assists, two steals) took his place.
“It’s hard for Han Jae-hyuk to get the ball (down low) by himself, and Yoon Jun-sik played the No. 1 and No. 2 (point guard and shooting guard) in high school. He made mistakes, but he did a good job,” Lee said of Yoon Jun-sik’s performance.
Lee twice called for playing time during a 63-38 lead at the start of the fourth quarter, when his team scored seven straight points.
When asked why, Lee said, “We made mistakes and lost focus. “I didn’t give us any special game plan, but we should have realized that, but we didn’t,” he said, adding, ”If we hit fast breaks and 3-pointers, even if we’re up 20 points, it’s down to 10 points. It was a reprimanding time for that part.”
Sophomore Myung-jin Kim (14 points, 11 rebounds, two steals) is showing the qualities that could make her the centerpiece of the team next year.
“She can play inside and outside,” Lee said. It’s not that he doesn’t practice, but it’s hard because he’s light. That’s why he keeps coming out (to the outside). Kim Myung-jin has to play in the middle, and he has to play one-on-one outside and shoot (3-pointers) when he gets the chance. This is something you can utilize more if you go pro,” he said. ”Even if you eat well, you can’t get stronger (laughs). This is especially true for Lee Dae-gyun. If he goes pro, he’ll get better with systematic weight training.”