KBL Round 39 (Regular Season): #1 Wonju DB is defeated by Mobis Phoebus

The teams have now bigger motivation at this stage of Regular Season. Every game can be crucial and decide about teams' position at the end of Regular Season. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The most surprising game was another loss of top-ranked Wonju DB (38-12) in Ulsan on Saturday night. Visitors were defeated by sixth ranked Mobis Phoebus (25-24) 95-89. Mobis Phoebus looked well-organized offensively handing out 29 assists. It was a great evening for American forward Gaige Prim (203-1999, college: Missouri St.) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 36 points (!!!), 12 rebounds and 5 assists. The former international guard Moobeen Park (185-2001) helped adding 18 points and 5 assists. The best for the losing side was American center Jeff Withey (213-1990, college: Kansas) with 23 points and 8 rebounds. Wonju DB's coach Sang-Bum Lee rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Mobis Phoebus maintains sixth place with 25-24 record. Wonju DB at the other side still keeps top position with 12 games lost. Mobis Phoebus are looking forward to face Sono SG (#8) in Daegu in the next round. Wonju DB will play on the road against Seoul Knights (#4) and is hoping to win this game.
Very important is a road loss of third ranked Sonicboom (31-19) against sixth ranked Egis (25-23) on Sunday night. Visiting Sonicboom was defeated by Egis in Jeonju 119-101. It was an exceptional evening for American Alize Johnson (206-1996, college: Missouri St.) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 37 points (!!!), 15 rebounds and 7 assists. Ung Heo accounted for 21 points and 5 assists. American power forward Paris Bass (207-1995, college: Detroit) came up with a double-double by scoring 31 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists for Suwon KT in the defeat. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. KCC Egis moved-up to fifth place. Suwon KT at the other side keeps the third position with 19 games lost. KCC Egis will play against league's second-placed LG Sakers in Changwon in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Suwon KT will have a break next round.
The game between Top Four teams took place in Changwon. Second ranked host Sakers (33-16) defeated leader Wonju DB (38-12) 92-88. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. The best player for the winners was Assem Marei who had a double-double by scoring 29 points, 19 rebounds and 4 assists (on 13-of-17 shooting from the field). Sakers' coach Sung-Won Cho used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. At the other side the best for losing team was Dedric Lawson who recorded 20 points and 8 rebounds. Sakers have an impressive series of seven victories in a row. LG Sakers maintains second place with 33-16 record having six points less than leader Wonju DB. Loser Wonju DB still keeps top position with 12 games lost. LG Sakers will meet KCC Egis (#5) in the next round. Wonju DB will play against Seoul Knights (#4) and hope to secure a win.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 39: Seoul Knights lost to Anyang on the opponent's court 78-84. Suwon KT managed to outperform Seoul Thunders in a home game 89-84. Sono SG managed to beat KoGas on the road 82-81. Bottom-ranked Seoul Thunders defeated Mobis Phoebus on its own court 94-91.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 35 points (!!!), 16 rebounds and 4 assists by Kofi Cockburn of Seoul Thunders.



Anyang - Seoul Knights 84-78

There was an upset when 4th placed Knights (29-19) were defeated on the road by ninth ranked Anyang (15-33) 84-78 on Saturday. Anyang looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. The best player for the winners was American Robert Carter (206-1994, college: Maryland) who had a double-double by scoring 13 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. Guard Sung-Won Choi (180-1995) chipped in 27 points (perfect behind the arc making all six shots !!!). Four Anyang players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was American center Jameel Warney (203-1994, college: Stony Brook) who recorded a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!), 17 rebounds and 6 assists and the former international forward Youngjun An (195-1995) added 15 points respectively. Defending champion maintains ninth place with 15-33 record. Loser Knights keep the fourth position with 19 games lost. Anyang will meet at home higher ranked KoGas (#7) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Seoul Knights will play against the league's leader Wonju DB where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Anyang: C.Sung-Won 27+2reb+2ast, B.Bae 16+5reb+3ast, R.Carter 13+10reb+9ast, J.Park 10+3reb+5ast, J.Lee 8+10reb+2ast, H.Jeong 5+2reb
Seoul Knights: J.Warney 33+17reb+6ast, Y.An 15+4reb+3ast, W.Yaung 10+1reb+1ast, K.Hyung-Bin 9+4reb+2ast, S.Oh 6+4reb+2ast, W.Choi 3+1ast

Mobis Phoebus - Wonju DB 95-89

The most surprising game was another loss of top-ranked Wonju DB (38-12) in Ulsan on Saturday night. Visitors were defeated by sixth ranked Mobis Phoebus (25-24) 95-89. Mobis Phoebus looked well-organized offensively handing out 29 assists. It was a great evening for American forward Gaige Prim (203-1999, college: Missouri St.) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 36 points (!!!), 12 rebounds and 5 assists. The former international guard Moobeen Park (185-2001) helped adding 18 points and 5 assists. Five Mobis Phoebus players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was American center Jeff Withey (213-1990, college: Kansas) with 23 points and 8 rebounds and the other American import power forward Dedric Lawson (206-1997, college: Kansas) scored 14 points and 9 rebounds. Wonju DB's coach Sang-Bum Lee rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Mobis Phoebus maintains sixth place with 25-24 record. Wonju DB at the other side still keeps top position with 12 games lost. Mobis Phoebus are looking forward to face Sono SG (#8) in Daegu in the next round. Wonju DB will play on the road against Seoul Knights (#4) and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Mobis Phoebus: G.Prim 36+12reb+5ast, P.Moobeen 18+4reb+5ast, L.Woosuk 14+3reb+7ast, J.Ham 12+4reb+4ast, G.Kim 10+5reb+3ast, J.Kim 3+1reb+2ast
Wonju DB: J.Withey 23+8reb, D.Lawson 14+9reb+2ast, E.Alvano 13+2reb+8ast, P.In-Woong 9+4reb, Y.Kim 9+1reb+1ast, S.Choi 7+2reb+1ast

Suwon KT - Seoul Thunders 89-84

Very predictable result in Busan where third ranked Sonicboom (31-19) defeated bottom-ranked Samsung Thunders (14-36) 89-84 on Saturday. However just five-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. Suwon KT looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was American power forward Paris Bass (207-1995, college: Detroit) who had a double-double by scoring 29 points, 16 rebounds and 8 assists. The former international center Yungi Ha (203-1999) chipped in 16 points and 5 rebounds. Sonicboom's coach Se-Woong Park used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. At the other side the best for losing team was Jamaican center Kofi Cockburn (213-1999, college: Illinois) who recorded a double-double by scoring 24 points and 17 rebounds and the former international forward Junghyun Lee (191-1987) added 13 points and 9 assists respectively. Four Seoul Thunders players scored in double figures. Suwon KT maintains third place with 31-19 record having seven points less than leader Wonju DB. Loser Samsung Thunders stay dead last with 36 lost games. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Suwon KT: P.Bass 29+16reb+8ast, Y.Ha 16+5reb+2ast, M.Eric 10+2reb, M.Jeonghyeon 9+4reb+2ast, H.Huiwon 9+1reb+2ast, H.Heo 9+3reb+2ast
Seoul Thunders: K.Cockburn 24+17reb+3ast, J.Lee 13+3reb+9ast, Y.Sung-Won 11+4reb+1ast, I.Lane 10+5reb+1ast, S.Choi 8+6reb+1ast, S.Dong-Hyuk 8+3reb+2ast

KCC Egis - Suwon KT 119-101

Very important is a road loss of third ranked Sonicboom (31-19) against sixth ranked Egis (25-23) on Sunday night. Visiting Sonicboom was defeated by Egis in Jeonju 119-101. KCC Egis made 19-of-24 charity shots (79.2 percent) during the game. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 28 assists. It was an exceptional evening for American Alize Johnson (206-1996, college: Missouri St.) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 37 points (!!!), 15 rebounds and 7 assists. The former international guard Ung Heo (183-1993) accounted for 21 points and 5 assists for the winning side. American power forward Paris Bass (207-1995, college: Detroit) came up with a double-double by scoring 31 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists and forward Doowon Lee (199-2000) added 12 points and 7 rebounds respectively for Suwon KT in the defeat. Five KCC Egis and four Suwon KT players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. KCC Egis moved-up to fifth place. Suwon KT at the other side keeps the third position with 19 games lost. KCC Egis will play against league's second-placed LG Sakers in Changwon in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Suwon KT will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
KCC Egis: A.Johnson 37+15reb+7ast, U.Heo 21+1reb+5ast, C.Jung 18+1reb+1ast, S.Lee 14+11reb+2ast, L.Hohyun 11+5reb+10ast, L.Geun-Hwi 8+5reb+2ast
Suwon KT: P.Bass 31+13reb+7ast, Y.Ha 13+3reb+3ast, D.Lee 12+7reb, S.Choi 11+3reb+1ast, M.Jeonghyeon 9+2reb+1ast, C.Choi 8+1reb+3ast

KoGas - Sono SG 81-82

There was a minor upset in Inchon where 7th ranked KoGas (20-30) were edged by ninth ranked Skygunners (16-34) 82-81 on Sunday. The best player for the winners was forward Jeong-Hyeon Lee (187-1999) who scored 35 points (!!!) and 4 assists (went 9 for 9 at the free throw line !!!). Nigerian-American center Chinanu Onuaku (207-1996, college: Louisville) chipped in a double-double by scoring 17 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). Skygunners' coach Byong-Chul Kim used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. At the other side the best for losing team was Canadian Andrew Nicholson (206-1989, college: St.Bonaventure) who recorded 36 points (!!!) and 9 rebounds and Juyoung Shin (-2002) added 8 points and 5 rebounds respectively. Sono SG moved-up to eighth place. Loser KoGas keep the seventh position with 30 games lost. Sono SG will meet at home higher ranked Mobis Phoebus (#6) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. KoGas will play against Anyang and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Sono SG: L.Jeong-Hyeon 35+2reb+4ast, C.Onuaku 17+12reb+4ast, M.Kim 10+3reb+2ast, H.Jun-hoo 7+1reb, C.Jae-Woo 6+2reb+1ast, M.Ki-nam 5+2ast
KoGas: A.Nicholson 36+9reb, N.Kim 13+1reb+1ast, S.Seung-Min 11+4reb+1ast, S.Juyoung 8+5reb+3ast, S.Belangel 6+1reb+6ast, B.Cha 5+3reb+3ast

LG Sakers - Wonju DB 92-88

The game between Top Four teams took place in Changwon. Second ranked host Sakers (33-16) defeated leader Wonju DB (38-12) 92-88. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. LG Sakers outrebounded Wonju DB 41-30 including 27 on the defensive glass. LG Sakers looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was Egyptian center Assem Marei (206-1992, college: MSU) who had a double-double by scoring 29 points, 19 rebounds and 4 assists (on 13-of-17 shooting from the field). Naturalized American guard Justin Gutang (191-1997, college: Skyline JC) chipped in 17 points and 5 assists. Sakers' coach Sung-Won Cho used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. At the other side the best for losing team was American power forward Dedric Lawson (206-1997, college: Kansas) who recorded 20 points and 8 rebounds and the other American import guard Ethan Alvano (185-1996, college: CSUSM) added 17 points and 6 rebounds respectively. Five LG Sakers and four Wonju DB players scored in double figures. Sakers have an impressive series of seven victories in a row. LG Sakers maintains second place with 33-16 record having six points less than leader Wonju DB. Loser Wonju DB still keeps top position with 12 games lost. LG Sakers will meet KCC Egis (#5) in the next round. Wonju DB will play against Seoul Knights (#4) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
LG Sakers: A.Marei 29+19reb+4ast, J.Gutang 17+3reb+5ast, L.Kwan-hee 13, S.Yugi 10+3reb+1ast, J.Lee 10+6reb+4ast, H.Jeong 5+1ast
Wonju DB: D.Lawson 20+8reb+2ast, E.Alvano 17+6reb+1ast, P.In-Woong 15+4reb+2ast, S.Kang 12+2reb+5ast, Y.Kim 8+1reb+2ast, S.Choi 8+6reb+2ast

Seoul Thunders - Mobis Phoebus 94-91

There was a surprise result in Seoul where tenth ranked Samsung Thunders (14-36) edged higher ranked Mobis Phoebus (25-24) 94-91 on Monday. The best player for the winners was Jamaican center Kofi Cockburn (213-1999, college: Illinois) who had a double-double by scoring 35 points (!!!), 16 rebounds and 4 assists. The former international forward Junghyun Lee (191-1987) chipped in 26 points and 7 assists. Four Samsung Thunders players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was American forward Gaige Prim (203-1999, college: Missouri St.) who recorded a double-double by scoring 29 points and 14 rebounds and international forward Woosuk Lee (196-1999) added 8 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists respectively. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Seoul Thunders maintains tenth place with 14-36 record. Loser Mobis Phoebus keep the sixth position with 24 games lost. Seoul Thunders will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Mobis Phoebus will play against Sono SG (#8) in Daegu and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Seoul Thunders: K.Cockburn 35+16reb+4ast, J.Lee 26+3reb+7ast, G.Hong 12+5reb+3ast, C.Minseok 11+5reb+1ast, S.Choi 3+8reb, D.Lee 3+4reb+4ast
Mobis Phoebus: G.Prim 29+14reb+1ast, G.Kim 13+2reb+1ast, J.Ham 10+4reb+1ast, J.Kim 9+1reb+3ast, P.Moobeen 9+5reb+5ast, L.Woosuk 8+12reb+8ast