Busan University coach Park Hyun-jin beamed after the dramatic win.
Busan National University defeated Dankook University 56-55 in the women’s game of the 2023 KUSF University Basketball U-League at Dankook University’s Cheonan Campus Gymnasium on Nov. 9. Continuing its winning streak, Busan University moved into sole possession of third place with four wins and three losses.
Busan University had the last laugh in the final 1.4 seconds. Unable to overcome the deficit throughout the game, Busan University was down by 13 points with 3:34 to play. However, the team fought back to close the gap, and Kim Sae-byul’s game-ending buzzer-beating three-pointer hit the backboard and went in for a dramatic comeback victory.
Coach Park Hyun said, “We actually lost today. We prepared for the opponent, but we didn’t play as well as we practiced. Our shots weren’t going in and we were wondering if we should give up because it was such a difficult game. However, we had a workout, so I encouraged the players a little more, and our captain (Kim Sae-byul) made one at the end. I want to praise her,” he said after the victory.
“The last shot was more likely not to go in under normal circumstances,” Park laughed. “It’s not a common option, but all of our players can shoot from the outside. Even the captain. Anyone can shoot, so I told them to shoot when they have a chance, and they did it today.”
Busan University was relentless in the early stages of the game, digging inside and trying to drive in, but the finishing was not good. Repeated offensive failures led to an early lead of more than 10 points.
Coach Park said, “They were pressing from the top, but we couldn’t figure out what they were using down low. I pointed it out to them throughout the game, but they didn’t get it today, so we talked about it at halftime. I think we lost our offense because our shots weren’t going in. We played a difficult game without solving ourselves, and the score was too low. We’ll watch the game again, have a meeting, and try to do something different for the next game.”
Both teams were successful in stopping the opponent’s offense with strong pressure. However, the offense left something to be desired. Busan University committed 22 turnovers, while Dankook committed 26. Coach Park also had some stinging words for the turnovers.
He said, “Stupid plays were repeated. You can’t play a game and not have turnovers, but today we made a lot of mistakes that were obvious to the opponent. It was really hard on the bench because if you keep pointing them out, they’ll be even more embarrassed.” He reflected on the game.
With the win, Pusan National University has now won both games against Dankook University this season. All of Dankook’s losses this season were to Pusan National University.
Coach Park said, “Our players have never lost to Dankook yet. But it’s also true that Dankook is the No. 1 team. I told them to have fun, not work hard. It’s a challenge for the players, and we emphasized that we’ve lost three games, so let’s start again. The defense can still give us 6-70 points, but the offense is too bad.”스포츠토토
Busan University now has three games left in the regular season. Although the team is struggling compared to the path it has taken since its founding, there is still a chance for a turnaround.
“We need to see the results of Dankook University and Suwon University, but if we win all of our remaining games, we can still finish second,” Park said. We had a difficult start to the season with a lot of injuries. Now that the players are coming together, we want to go to the playoffs rather than the regular season and try to win the title there.”