VL point guard Chen Huei had two crucial turnovers in the last two minutes and Dacin rookie Lin Yi-huei made a key basket down the stretch as Dacin edged VL 65-62 in the deciding Game 3 of the semifinal series and advanced to the Final, where they will face defending champ Yulon.
As both teams see-sawing the score all game, Dacin was clinging on a two-point lead with less than two minutes remaining and VL seemed to find its last momentum. But Chen Huei threw away a baseline inbound pass and an east pass that led to Dacin steal in the last two minutes.
Dacin rookie Lin Yi-huei made a basket that increased Dacin lead to 65-59. VL forward Lee Chi-yi's three-pointer once again cut the deficit down to three. But VL failed to get off the final three-point shot before the buzzer sounded. Dacin players and coaching staff stormed the court in celebration.
In the first half, VL F/C Lai Kuo-hong kept pounding the paint and scored at will against every Dacin defender, scoring 25 of VL's 34 first half points. Dacin changed its defensive assignment in the second half, sending smaller Chang Chi-feng to replace Tien Lei, Lee Fong-yong and Chen Tse-wei as Lai's primary defender. The change paid dividends as lai managed to score three more points in the last 20 minutes.
Tien Lei had 19 points and 14 rebounds to pace Dacin but also committed 8 turnovers, disappeared in the second half and fouled out in the last minute. Chang Chi-feng had 14 points. PG Wang Chih-chun had 13 and Lin Yi-huei had 10.
Lai Kuo-hong led VL with 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting. Lee Chi-yi collected 15 points and 5 rebounds. Yang Che-yi had 11. Chen Huei pulled down 11 rebounds and dished out two assists.
Once again, Videoland crashed out in the SBL semifinal. VL (then named BCC Mars) lost to Yulon 2-1 in the semi last season.
The Best-of-Five SBL Final starts on May 12th.