Huan-Ya Yu
Taichung, Taiwan (2/28/22) - In a dramatic game, the Kaohsiung Aquas (12-4) stunned the Taichung Suns (9-7) by overcoming a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter, eventually claiming the victory in overtime by a score of 122-113. It was a painful loss for the Suns who were in command the entire second half, until the wheels started to fall off midway through the fourth quarter. Their shooters went cold and the Aquas took advantage of a late 14-point scoring run to eventually tie the game on a Mingdaugas Kupsas (216-C-91) layup with 27 seconds left (Kupsas finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists). The momentum carried over, when the Aquas went on a 10-0 run to start the overtime, leaving no doubt which team was going to walk away with the win.
Huan-Ya Yu (184-G-1993) (184-G-93) also made a big contribution to the Aquas by scoring 26 points on 9-14 shooting overall, and Ferrakohn Hall (Memphis) had a strong first half, finishing the day with 22 points and 7 rebounds (5 offensive). The Suns were sparked by sharpshooter, Jordan Heading (188-G-96, college: CBU), who led all scorers with an impressive 36-point performance. The Aquas had no answer for his quick release 3-pointers, mid-range fadeaways and floaters. The Suns were also guided by Anthony Tucker (MSUM) (26 points and 6 rebounds) and Sani Sakakini (204-C/F-88), who finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Both teams started off on fire from outside, although nobody was hotter than Heading, who made four 3s in the first four minutes, giving the Suns an early lead. It didn't take long for the Aquas to catch up after Huan-Ya Yu started making pull-up jumpers and threes as well (scoring 26 points while shooting 5-of-10 from three in the game). Tucker finished the quarter with a sleek reverse layup right before the buzzer sounded, giving the Suns a 28-24 lead. The second quarter became a battle between the Aqua's Hall and the Sun's Sakakini. Hall showed a versatile scoring arsenal with tough finishes in traffic and knocking down two 3s (scoring 18 of his 22 total points in the first half). Sakakini went right back at him with tenacious post ups and nice dishes to cutting teammates. Meanwhile, the Suns stifled Kupsas in the first half with quick double teams, holding him to only 2 points. Sun Szu-Yao (203-C-97) also played a large part in frustrating the Aqua's big men with his aggressive defense, racking up 5 points and 10 rebounds in only 16 minutes. After a very physical first half, the Suns found themselves up 54-50.
The third quarter was controlled by the Suns. Their big 3 of Tucker, Heading, and Sakakini scored 31 of their team's 33 points in the quarter, with each player taking turns hitting threes and mid-range fadeaways. The Aquas also appeared to be struggling with the Suns creative defensive rotations, sometimes going from a 2-3 zone into a man on man switching defense in the same possession. Although the quarter didn't go well for the Aquas, they did finally get Kupsas going after he scored 12 points in the quarter. Xavier Alexander (S. Nazarene) also had an impact, offering 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists on the day. Going into the fourth, the Aquas were down 87-76.
All the real drama started in the fourth quarter. The game looked just about over when the Suns stretched their lead to 17. However, after that moment, they lost their touch and couldn't buy an outside shot. The Aquas did a masterful job of turning their misses into easy fastbreak layups for Hu Long-Mao (195-SF-92), who had a solid all-around game with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. Kupsas then delivered several clutch mid-range shots and layups, and in a blink of an eye the 17-point lead had vanished. Another three-pointer by Huan-Ya Yu tied the game with 3 minutes to go. A few possessions later, a contested 18-foot pullup by Tucker clanked off the rim with 2 seconds left and the game went into overtime. In extra time, the Aquas quickly dismantled a Suns defense that appeared exhausted. A couple wide-open threes and a driving layup by Jason Brickman (LIU Brooklyn) (13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) increased the lead to 10, and the Aquas coasted to victory from there.
Game Notes:
-The Suns shot themselves in the foot by only making 58% of their free throws (going 21-of-36)
-The Aquas dominated the assist battle (31-14), especially in the second half. The Suns only managed 4 assists in the second half compared to 20 for the Aquas.
Coming Up:
The Taichung Suns (9-7) next play an away game against the New Taipei DEA (11-6) on Saturday, March 5. The Kaohsiung Aquas next game will be a rematch against the Suns in Taichung scheduled for Sunday, March 13.
This article was written by Filip Vyhnal, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball.
Tags : HUAN-YA YU, KAOHSIUNG AQUAS, TAIWANESE BASKETBALL
