Tue, Dec 01, 2009 page19

• UBA: Top UBA teams crash for a three-way tourney tie

  • By Paul Huang / CONTRIBUTING REPORTER
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  National Taiwan Normal University played its best game when it counted the most by erupting for 28 points in the third quarter to defeat previously unbeaten Mingdao University 80-66 in the fifth day of play at the annual University Basketball Association (UBA) tournament on Sunday to improve to 4-1.

  The defending champs showed a young Mingdao squad who was really the boss, with great outings from Lin Yi-hui and Cheng Ren-wei, whose combined 34 points and 17 rebounds accounted for nearly half of National Taiwan Normal’s total offense.

  The win not only put National Taiwan Normal in a three-way tie for first place at 4-1 — with the other previously unbeaten team, Fu Jen Catholic, losing to Taipei Physical Education College on the same day — but also gave National Taiwan Normal a tremendous psychological boost as it heads into today’s contest against National Kaohsiung Normal University.

  

  Wu Min-hsien of Mingdao University, bottom, falls to the ground as he drives to the basket during a University Basketball Association game against National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei on Sunday.

  PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

  Mingdao showed off its speed and talent in the early going, with Wu Min-hsien and Liu Cheng doing most of the damage on the scoreboard to lift the team to a 26-22 lead after the opening quarter.

  But the more experienced National Taiwan Normal — fielding eight players from the Super Basketball League — returned the favor by keeping the game close until a 3-on-1 fast break ending with a thunderous slam dunk by Chou Bo-cheng late in the first half gave the defending champs their first lead of the contest at 40-39.

  National Taiwan Normal pulled away in the third with a 28-13 run and led by as many as 22 points in the fourth en route to the impressive double-digit win.

  “This [the loss] was a good lesson for us because it really taught our younger players playing one good half will not win you the game against good teams,” Mingdao skipper Chia Fan said after the game.

  His team had won their four previous games by an average 13.3 points and their past 19 games dating back to last year.

  TAIPEI PHYSICAL EDUCATION 85,

  FU JEN CATHOLIC 78

  Mingdao was not the only previously unbeaten team that stumbled on the day, with Fu Jen Catholic falling victims to a psyched-up Taipei Physical Education squad that had gone 0-4 but managed an 85-78 upset.

  Several questionable calls in Taipei Physical Education’s favor may have affected Fu Jen’s mental game as it squandered a six-point first-half lead and was forced to play catch-up for the rest of the contest.

  “Good defense and patience on offense really helped us win this game,” Taipei Physical Education head coach Chen Chung-cheng said after the game.

  Other Results

  • National Kaohsiung Normal University 73, Hsin Wu College 80

  • National Taiwan College of Physical Education 62, Chinese Culture University 78

  • Diwan University 92, National Donghwa University 84

  • National Taiwan University of Arts 70, National Taiwan Sports University 78
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