Taipei, Dec. 31 (CNA) The defending T1 LEAGUE champion Kaohsiung Aquas outhustled the Taichung Suns 100-92 Saturday, while edging closer to the current league leaders New Taipei CTBC DEA.
The Aquas, the winner of the six-team league's inaugural season, are now 7-4, putting them one game behind the DEA, who have a 8-3 record after winning five consecutive games. The Suns, who are on a four-game losing streak, are now 4-6 and fifth in the standings.
After the win, Aquas point guard Yu Huan-ya (于煥亞), who posted 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and one steal, said he had not been performing too well recently so he hoped to help his team in other ways.
"Actually, I should thank my teammates for the rebounds because they positioned themselves in the right spots and I was able to get the ball," Yu said.
Other Aquas top performers included playmaker Jason Brickman, who dropped a double-double of 15 points and 11 dimes, as well as six rebounds and three steals, and small forward Kevin Hu (胡瓏貿), who had 20 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and one steal.
During the game at Taichung's National Taiwan University of Sport Gymnasium, both teams kept the scores close in an intense first quarter which ended with the Aquas leading 28-26.
The intensity continued in the second quarter as both teams attacked the basket relentlessly.
The score continued to stay close as neither team was able to lead by more than six points and the first half ended with both teams level at 49 points.
The second half saw the Suns charge ahead to a seven-point lead at 65-58 after Suns small forward Tony Bishop made the first of two free throws with 4 minutes and 44 seconds left in the quarter.
However, the Aquas rallied as the third quarter ended with the score 72-72.
In the final quarter, the Aquas started to build a lead from around three minutes in as Brickman led an eight-point run to make the score 88-80.
The Aquas held on to the lead, which at one point widened to 11 points at 94-83 after Brickman sank a two-point jump shot with 2 minutes and 26 seconds left in the game.
From there, the game was out of reach for the Suns and the Aquas took the win 100-92, bouncing back from their 95-83 loss on the road against the DEA at New Taipei's Xinzhuang Gymnasium on Christmas Eve.
The Aquas and the Suns played each other in the finals of the league's inaugural season in May, which saw the Kaohsiung team come out on top in a three-game sweep.
P. LEAGUE+
Meanwhile in the P. LEAGUE+, Taiwan's other professional basketball league, the Hsinchu Jko Lioneers edged the visiting Formosa Taishin Dreamers 102-97 at Hsinchu County Stadium on Saturday.
Lioneers captain Oscar Kao (高國豪) led all scorers with 34 points, while Dreamers center Brandon Gilbeck led his team with 27 points.
The Hsinchu-based team is now fourth in the six-team P. LEAGUE+ with a 6-6 record, while the Dreamers are fifth with a 5-7 record.
Also in the P. LEAGUE+, the New Taipei Kings overpowered the Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers 109-86 to remain at the top of the standings with a 10-3 record. The Steelers are at the bottom of the standings after having only won one out of 13 games this season so far.
