2009 EAG: Taiwan woman has no answer to China

Taiwan woman NT did not have an answer to powerful China for the second consecutive time in the East Asian Games title game, losing 83-58 in the 2009 EAG final Friday night.

Taiwan's confidence was high coming into the game after losing to China by only eight points in the preliminary. However China was not to be stopped Friday night, shooting 54% from the field and limited Taiwan’s offense down to 35%.

Taiwan was led by Liu Chun-yi's 15 points. Yang Ya-hui had 14 points while Lee Wan-ting had 11.

2009 EAG: Taiwan lost to South Korea, failed to defend title

(UDN.com)

Tseng Wen-ting missed a pair of free-throws with 10 seconds to go as Taiwan NT was one step short of a huge comeback bid in the final two minutes, losing a 98-97 heartbreaker to South Korea in the 2009 East Asian Games final and failed to defend its title.

Taiwan NT, who led by as many as 10 points in the third quarter over a South Korean team consisting of military and college players, suddenly found themselves trailed by 12 with two minutes remaining.

Koreans closed the gap with an 8-0 run early in the final quarter.

Taiwan head coach Chung Kwang-suk opted to go for the late game intentional fouling and it worked like magic. As Koreans kept missing free-throws, Taiwan cut the deficit to two with 10 seconds to go.

Lee Hsueh-lin and Tseng Wen-ting executed a perfect give-and-go on the last play as Tseng was fouled on his way to the basket. But he missed the most crucial free-throws in the game.

South Korea made the ensuing free-throws to lead by four before Yang Che-yi added a three-pointer with 0.3 seconds left in the game. There was not enough time for Taiwan to turn the tide.

Taiwan led 45-42 at the half.

Tseng Wen-ting had a team-high 23 points and 10 rebounds but was only 4-of-11 from the free-throw line. Chang Chih-feng had 20 points and Lin Chih-chieh added 19.

2009 EAG: Taiwan NT in title game again

Led by Tien Lei and Lin Chih-chieh, Taiwan NT beat Japan 69-67 in the semifinal game of the 2009 East Asian Games and advanced to the title game again, winning an opportunity to defend its title after finishing on top in 2005.

Taiwan will meet South Korea, who sent a mix of the military team and college players but surprised China's second national team 91-59 in the other semifinal, in the tournament finale.

Tien Lei scored the tie-breaking basket on a putback with 10 seconds to go in the close win. Lin Chih-chieh led the team with 17 points. Yang Ching-min had 14 points while center Wu Tai-hao had 12 points, 5 rebounds and two blocks.

In the preliminary round, Taiwan was routed 76-48 by China and cruised past Mongolia 132-94 in the final preliminary game.

Yang Ching-min scored a team-high 12 points in the China game.

Eight players scored in double-digit in the Mongolia game. Tien Lei paced the team with 19 points and Lin Chih-chieh had 18 points. Yang Ching-min chipped in 16.

2009 EAG: Taiwan women NT to fight for gold

For the first time, Taiwan women NT is in the final game of an international competition, although the East Asian Games is not exactly the high level international competition most people have in mind.

With a squad mixing the old and the inexperienced youngsters, Taiwan women NT surprisingly routed South Korea 78-58 in the semifinal and make the 2009 EAG final in Hong Kong. It is expected to meet powerful China in the title game.

Taiwan followed a 35-point blowout win over South Korea in the final preliminary game with yet another lopsided win over Koreans on consecutive nights as forward Liu Chun-yi tallying 23 points and 6 rebounds and veteran center Cheng Hui-yun contributing 21 and 9.

"Newcomers on the team have been a surprise since the first day with their hustle, effort and the will to learn, " head coach Hung Ling-yao was quoted as saying, adding that Taiwan NT relied heavily on veterans offensively and let the young players make stops on the defensive end.

2009 EAG: Taiwan men routs Macau

Six players scored in double-digit as Taiwan cruised past Macau 118-59 Thursday night in its opening game in the 2009 East Asian Games in Hong Kong.

Taiwan was led by Chang Chih-feng and Yang Ching-min who each scored 17 points. Center Wu Tai-hao had 15 points and four blocks in limited playing time. Lin Chih-chieh and Chen Shun-hsiang, who made his national team debut, had 12 points respectively.

Taiwan shot 17-of-35 from the three-point land but only connected 9 of its 16 free-throw opportunities.

2009 EAG: Taiwan women beat Japan

A 15-0 run in the third period helped Taiwan women's NT to a crucial 76-63 win over rival Japan in the 2009 East Asian games Thursday as Taiwan eyed for a top finish in the single round-robin preliminary round.

Taiwan (2-1) beat Hong Kong 112-47 Wednesday after losing a 69-61 decision to China Tuesday in the opening game.

Taiwan virtually locked up its place in the semi after beating Hong Kong because there are only five teams in the women competition: Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.

Game summary:

Taiwan 76-63 Japan: Liu Chun-yi 22p+7rb, Cheng Hui-yun 19p+8rb
Taiwan 112-47 Hong Kong: Huang Fan-shan 18p, Hsu Chien-hui 13p, Huang Ying-li 13p
Taiwan 61-69 China: Liu Chun-yi 25p, Cheng Hui-yun 17p+4rb

Taiwan NT looks to defend EAG title

(UDN.com)

Taiwan NT left for Hong Kong today with one goal in their minds -- defending its title in the East Asian Games (EAG) next month in Hong Kong.

That's a lofty goal for a team which only finished for 5th place in Asia, you think. Even if Taiwan won't meet powerful West Asian teams such as Iran, Lebanon and Jordan in the EAG nor its longtime rival in the south -- the Philippines, there are still plenty of good teams in East Asia.

Which is true. To win gold, Taiwan still needs to beat South Korea, Japan and perennial Asian powerhouse China.

However, these countries are not sending their national teams to Hong Kong. China, Japan and South Korea all decided to send second NT or select teams to the EAG, the quadrennial meet which has gradually lost its luster throughout the years, giving Taiwan a legitimate chance for a repeat.

Taiwan NT head coach Chung Kwang-hee did not hesitate to speak his mind, saying that the team looks for bring home its third EAG men's basketball gold after winning it all in 1993 and 2005.

Taiwan, which is in the same bracket with Macau, Mongolia and China, will meet Macau in the opening game on Dec. 2 and is expected to meet either Japan or South Korea in the semifinal.

 

Taiwan men's NT roster for 2009 East Asian Games

Po., Name, Ht., Age
G Lee Hsueh-lin, Yulon, 175cm, 25
G Chen Shih-nian, TB, 180cm, 25
G Yang Ching-min, TB, 188cm, 25
G Chang Chih-feng, Dacin, 183cm, 28
F Chen Shun-hsiang, BOT, 188cm
F Lin Chih-chieh, TB, 192cm, 27
F Chen Tse-wei, Dacin, 200cm, 24
F Tien Lei, Dacin, 202cm, 26
F Yang Che-yi, Yulon, 193cm, 31
F Wu Chien-lung, Pure Youth, 193cm, 20
C Tseng Wen-ting, Yulon, 202cm, 25
C Wu Tai-hao, TB, 202cm, 24

Head coach: Chung Kwang-suk
Assistants: Chou Jun-san, Hsu Ching-tse

 

Taiwan women's NT roster for 2009 East Asian Games

Cheng Hui-yun C 186cm 32
Liu Chun-yi F 180cm 28
Chang Ning C 186cm 22
Chang Shih-chieh G 172cm 23
Hsu Chien-hui G 171cm 20
Wu Hsin-ying F 177cm 22
Huang Ying-li G 170cm 20
Yang Ya-hui G 170cm 20
Wu Min-fang G 174cm 22
Lee Wan-ting F 180cm 23
Chen Yu-chun F 176cm 22
Huang Fan-shan G 174cm 22

Head coach: Hung Ling-yao
Assistants: Chien Wei-chuan, Teng Pi-yun

 

2009 EAG Primer

Taiwan Men's NT
-- 8 teams
-- Preliminary: Two groups of four
Group A: Macau, Taiwan, Mongolia, China
Group B: Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Guam
-- Top two in each group advance to the semifinal round
-- Schedule:
Dec. 3 15:30 vs. Macau
Dec. 5 13:15 vs. Mongolia
Dec. 7 20:00 vs. China

Taiwan Women's NT
-- 6 teams
-- Preliminary: Single round robin. Top four advance to the semifinal round
-- Schedule:
Dec. 2 11:00 vs. China
Dec. 3 17:45 vs. Hong Kong
Dec. 4 13:15 vs. Japan
Dec. 6 11:00 vs. Guam
Dec. 7 11:00 vs. Korea

Taiwan men's NT to defend EAG title

Taiwan men's NT will try to defend its East Asian Games title when the quadrennial competition takes place in Hong Kong in December while Taiwan women's NT looks to revenge its loss to China in the title game four years ago in Macau.

2009 EAG Primer

Taiwan Men's NT
-- 8 teams
-- Preliminary: Two groups of four
Group A: Macau, Taiwan, Mongolia, China
Group B: Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Guam
-- Top two in each group advance to the semifinal round
-- Schedule:
Dec. 3 15:30 vs. Macau
Dec. 5 13:15 vs. Mongolia
Dec. 7 20:00 vs. China

Taiwan Women's NT
-- 6 teams
-- Preliminary: Single round robin. Top four advance to the semifinal round
-- Schedule:
Dec. 2 11:00 vs. China
Dec. 3 17:45 vs. Hong Kong
Dec. 4 13:15 vs. Japan
Dec. 6 11:00 vs. Guam
Dec. 7 11:00 vs. Korea

CTBA names 14-man preliminary roster for 2009 East Asian Games

CTBA named 14-man preliminary Taiwan men's NT roster for the 2009 East Asian Games, keeping the entire coaching staff and most of the players in the 2009 Asian Championship with the goal of defending the title it won four years ago in Macao.

CTBA's NT committee announced that all 12 players who played in Tianjin except Jet Chang have been invited back to the squad. Three players who performed well in the Jones Cup last July -- Chen Shun-hsiang (BOT), Chen Shih-nian (TB) and Tsai Wen-cheng (PY) -- were also included in the roster.

Lin Chih-chieh, who left for China Monday to play for CBA's Zhejiang Lions, will be back to Taiwan 10 days before the East Asian Games for Taiwan NT training camp, which opens on November 2.

The roster will be down to 12 players before the East Asian Games, which will be held in Hong Kong from December 5-13.

Korean coach Chung Kwang-suk, who led Taiwan to the 5th place finish in Tianjin, will lead the team once again with the help from assistants Chou Jun-san and Hsu Chin-tse.

While Taiwan NT failed to finish in the top four in the Asian Championship since 1999, it did well in the East Asian Games, winning two gold medals in 1997 and 2005 and one silver in 2001.

Taiwan defeated Japan 60-55 four years ago for the second East Asian Games title.

14-man preliminary roster

Po., Name, Ht., Age
G Lee Hsueh-lin, Yulon, 175cm, 25
G Chen Shih-nian, TB, 180cm, 25
G Su Yi-chieh, Dacin, 181cm, 22
G Yang Ching-min, TB, 188cm, 25
G Chang Chih-feng, Dacin, 183cm, 28
F Chen Shun-hsiang, BOT, 188cm
F Tsai Wen-cheng, PY, 188cm, 24
F Lin Chih-chieh, TB, 192cm, 27
F Chen Tse-wei, Dacin, 200cm, 24
F Tien Lei, Dacin, 202cm, 26
F Yang Che-yi, Yulon, 193cm, 31
F Wu Chien-lung, Pure Youth, 193cm, 20
C Tseng Wen-ting, Yulon, 202cm, 25
C Wu Tai-hao, TB, 202cm, 24

Head coach: Chung Kwang-suk
Assistants: Chou Jun-san, Hsu Ching-tse

Links:
http://www.2009eastasiangames.hk/en/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_East_Asian_Games

Roundup: Lin, Chung and the lost Championship

Lin Chih-chieh (Photo: SBL)

BOW GOES TO LIN
Taiwan Beer forward Lin Chih-chieh was named Week 9 Baller of the Week after leading TB to a 3-0 week with an average of 21.6 points and 7.6 rebounds.

Lin garnered 30 points in the voting, 15 more than the closest vote-getter Dacin import Byron Allen who had 15 points.

CTBA EXTENDS CHUNG
CTBA Deputy Secretary-General Wang Chih-hsien said that the federation has re-signed Korean coach Chung Kwang-suk as the head basketball coach of Taiwan NT for the remainder of the year.

The South Korean's first test will be the East Asian Subzone qualification games, which will be held in Nagoya, Japan in June. How Taiwan NT fairs in the qualifiers will determine whether they will be able to play in Tianjin, the host city of the 2009 Asian Men's Championship, in August.

He will also take the team to Hong Kong in the end of the year for the 2009 East Asian Games.

Chung led Taiwan to a 6th-place finish in the 2007 Asian Men's Basketball Championship. He has served as head coaches for Taiwan junior and senior national teams in recent years.

FIBA STUNS CTBA
According to the CTBA, FIBA Asia has stripped Taiwan of the rights to host the 2009 Asian Women's Basketball Championship, citing the fear of a low attendance.

CTBA was expected to host the championship for the first time since 1972 from June 21-28 in Hsinjhuang Stadium, Taipei County.

FIBA Asia expressed its concern that the host wouldn't be able to fill in the stadium. CTBA proposed to move the venue to Taipei Municipal Stadium, a smaller arena, CTBA Secretary-General Kao Yuan-pu said. But FIBA Asia rejected the proposal and decided to move the tournament away.

The alternate host and game schedule is unknown at this moment.

From what I've seen, FIBA Asia's reason to move the game away is ridiculous and unbelievable. It's possible that China does not want Taiwan to host the tournament for political issues.

Taiwan beat Japan to win second EAG gold

Tien Lei made two game-clinching free-throws with 3.6 seconds remaining as Taiwan edged Japan 60-55 in East Asian Games title game and won its second EAG gold medal.

Taiwan won its first gold medal in 1997 Busan EAG and got silver in 2001 EAG in Osaka, Japan.

The gold medal didn't come easy. Led by 10(32-22) at halftime and as many as 15 points in the third quarter, Taiwan almost blew the game after missing several free-throws in crucial moments. And Japan rallied behind 19-year-old high schooler Takuya Kawamura, who made three three-pointers in the fourth quarter.

Kawamura's last field goal -- a back-breaking three pointer -- cut Japan's deficit to only three, 58-55, with 3.6 seconds left. But it's too late for Japan, who almost trailed the entire game. Tien made both of his free-throws to ice the game.

Lee Hsueh-lin led Taiwan with 15 points. Center Tsun Wen-din had 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals. Tien Lei had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds and added four steals.

Japan shocked China 68-60 in the semifinal. It's probably the biggest upset in the whole tournament, although China only sent its second national team.

And after today's final, I think Japan has finally found its shooting star of the new generation. Takuya Kawamura, who was named MVP in this summer's Basketball Without Borders Camp in China, is a sweeting-shooting scorer with a big heart -- at 19 years-old. He is tall enough to deal with most backcourt players in Asia at 190 cm. His potential is unlimited.

Taiwan beat South Korea 61-48 in an ugly semifinal game. Tsun Wen-din once again dominated the game with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Tien Lei had 16 points and 14 rebounds.

In women's final, Taiwan Women's NT play picked a wrong time to play poorly. Taiwan Women's, which beat China by more than 30 in the prelim, lost to China 71-67 in the title game.

Taiwan meets South Korea in EAG semifinal

Taiwan beat Mongolia 107-70 in its last preliminary game to finish 5-1 and No.2 in the prelim and will meet No.3 seed South Korea in the East Asian Games semifinal today. No.1 seed China will meet No.4 japan in the other semifinal.

Chou Shih-yuan scored team-high 20 points. Yang Chin-ming added 19 points. Yang Che-yi had 13 and Tien Lei had 12 points.

Taiwan beat South Korea 75-56 in the preliminary game.

Hong Kong beat Macau 66-61 and finished for fifth place with a 2-5 record. Mongolia(1-6) is sixth and host Macau(0-7) finished last place.

Taiwan women's NT will play for gold in the EAG final vs. China.

Tien Lei leads Taiwan past Japan in EAG

Led by Tien Lei's two power dunks, Taiwan NT shout out to Asia that its 9th-place finish in the Asian Championship is not right after defeating Japan, which ranked for 5th in the Asian Championship, 89-78. Taiwan finished the preliminary round 4-1 and ranked second behind China.

 

Yang Yu-ming made 6 of 7 three-point attempts en route to his game-high 24 points and helped Taiwan lead by as many as 25 points. Tien Lei exploded for 19 points and played probably his best game in two months. Chen Chih-chun and Lee Huseh-lin each scored 12.

 

Taiwan cruised by Macau 120-78 on Tuesday. Chou Shih-yuan finally broke out from his slump and scored 27 points on 11-17 shooting. Center Wu Chih-wei had 22 points and 7 rebounds. Lee Hsueh-lin had 15 points. Lee Chi-yi added 12 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists.

 

On women side, Taiwan edged Japan to finish th preliminary games 3-0 and advanced to the semifinal.

Taiwan NT lost to China 68-65 in EAG

Taiwan NT suffered the first loss in East Asian Games after losing to China 68-65 today. Facing a Chinese team with mostly second-tier players, Taiwan led by as many as 11 points in the first half but failed to contain China's three-point shooting. Yang Yu-ming committed a turnover in the last possession.

 

Taiwan is now 2-1 in the tournament. China is 3-0. Tien Lei led Taiwan with 11 points and 5 rebounds. Yang Che-yi and Chen Chih-chun each scored 10 points. Taiwan led 39-33 at halftime. Overall, the result is acceptable although China featured only one key player Yi Jianlian from the REAL national team.

 

However, Taiwan NT almost became the victim of upset yesterday, escaping with a 76-74 win over underdog Hong Kong. Head coach Lee Yun-kwang blasted the team for a whole hour after the game. In other games yesterday, China beat Japan 70-57, South Korea beat Mongolia 86-57.

Taiwan beat South Korea 75-56 in EAG opening game

Led by Tsun Wen-din and Tien Lei, who combined for 41 points, Taiwan NT routed South Korea 75-56 in the opening game of East Asian Games in Macau. It's a surprising result, although South Korea only sent a college all-star team.

 

Taiwan head coach Lee Yun-kwang used a news clipping from a local newspaper to motivate his players. In a pre-game analysis, MACAU DAILY listed China, South Korea and Japan as A-Teams and Taiwan in B-Teams, which means Taiwan is not really good.

 

Obviously Taiwan NT does not agree with it. Tsun Wen-din, who had game-high 21 points, scored nine straight points in the second quarter and Taiwan never trailed, leading by as many as 25 points. Tien Lei had 11 of his 20 points in the third quarter. Yang Yu-ming scored 18.

 

As expected, super-power China stomped host Macau 94-43 in its first game. Wang Shipeng led the team with 18. Yi Jianlian had 15 points in 20 minutes.

 

http://www.east-asian-games2005.com/en/

Taiwan NT ready for East Asian Games, barely

Taiwanese basketball is so quiet you think it's dead. Well, not really. A handful of journalists, me included, are still sober enough to remember East Asian Games is right ahead.

 

The bi-annual games will take place in Macao starting October 29th. Coming off an embarrassing 9th-place finish in Asian Championship, this is the last chance for Taiwan NT to garner some self-confidence before the new year comes.

 

However injuries keep piling up. Tien Lei broke his right little finger in National Games last week and was in a cast. He said he will try to play through the injury in EAG. Yang Chin-min have a swollen lymph nodes, which should heal before the EAG.

 

Seven countries will play in the EAG, including Taiwan, China, Japan, South Korea, Macao, Hong Kong and Mongolia. The teams will play under single round robin as top four advance to the semifinals. If there's no major upset, Taiwan, China, Japan and South Korea are expected to make the final four.

Third-place finish for Taiwan NT in East Asia Qualification

Taiwan NT beat Hong Kong 92-58 in the last game of the East Asia Qualification and came home with a 3-2 record and the third-place finish. It is not a good result but at least they got the Asian Championship seed.

South Korea, who sent its military team Sanmu to the tournament, beat China 68-59 to win the tourney with a perfect 5-0 record. China is second with 4-1. From fourth to sixth place are Japan (3-2), Hong Kong (1-4) and Mongolia (0-5).

All teams except Mongolia got the five East Asia seeds for the Asian Championship which will be held in Qatar in September.

Japan beat Mongolia 56-55 in its last game.

Taiwan NT will once again on the road after a short rest. It will go to Los Angeles for a one-month training tour.

Taiwan NT will be busy in the bottom half of the year as three competitions -- William Jones Cup Invitational at Taipei in July, Asian Championship at Qatar in September and East Asian Games at Macau in October -- are taking place.

East Asian Qualification Action

May 28
China 83-73 Taiwan (Taiwan: Yang Yu-min 14p, Tien Lei 13p, Tsun Wen-din 12p, Lee Hsueh-lin 11p, Chen Chih-chun 10p)
Korea 82-65 Mongolia
Japan 72-50 Hong Kong

May 29
Japan 59-51 China
Hong Kong 70-62 Mongolia
Korea 89-80 Taiwan (Taiwan: Tsun Wen-din 18p, Chen Chih-chun 14p, Tien Lei 12p+7rb. Taiwan only made 19-of-32 free-throws, while Korea made 16 three-pointers.)

Standings:
Korea 4-0, China 3-1, Taiwan 2-2, Japan 2-2, Hong Kong 1-3, Mongolia 0-4

Taiwan NT wins two straight, gets Asian Championship seed

Taiwan NT defeated Japan and Mongolia in the first two games in the East Asian qualification in Guangdong, China and secured its ticket to the Asian Championship, which will be held in Qatar later this year.

Led by Tien Lei’s 25 points, Taiwan beat Japan 73-61 in the opening game. The following night center Wu Dai-hao scored 17 points in a balanced attack to help Taiwan beat Mongolia 88-73.

Taiwan, minus top players Chen Hsin-an and Lin Chi-jay, opened the game vs. Japan with a 20-8 run and led the whole game. Tien Lei had 25 points and 8 rebounds, follwed by Tsun Wen-din’s 15 points and 9 rebounds. SG Chang Chi-feng scored 10 points.

Joji Takeuchi led Japan with 13 and 7.

Taiwan cruised in the second game vs. Mongolia with all 12 players seeing action. Wu Dai-hao had 17 points, followed by Chen Chih-chun’s 14, Chou Shih-yuan’s 12, Chang Chi-feng’s 11 and Yang Yu-min’s 10 points.

Taiwan NT, however, showed one of their most glaring weaknesses as they trailed Mongolia in rebounding 37-47, allowing 20 offensive rebounds.

East Asian Qualification scores:
May 26
Taiwan 73-61 Japan
China 94-70 Mongolia
Korea 93-69 Hong Kong

May 27
Taiwan 88-73 Mongolia
China 77-56 Hong Kong
Korea 73-64 Japan

Standings:
Taiwan 2-0, China 2-0, Korea 2-0, Japan 0-2, Mongolia 0-2, Hong Kong 0-2

Taiwan NT head for China without its top players

Taiwan NT enters the East Asian Qualification without its top players. Chen Hsin-an and Lin Chi-jay, both top wing players in Taiwan, and Wang Chih-chun, one of the top point guards, all withdrew because of injuries.

Fortunately, it’s only the qualification stage and other countries are not sending their top players either. Under FIBA Asia rule, five of the six participating teams will get the East Asia Zone seeds for the Asian Championship.

Head coach Lee Yun-kwang admitted that most of the players are tired after a grueling SBL season, which concluded on May 16. Taiwan NT departed for China after practicing for only four days.

Lee said the goal for the tournament is getting the seed, so he will not put too much pressure on the players. For Taiwan, beating Mongolia and Hong Kong shouldn’t be too hard.

Taiwan NT game schedule:
5/26 21:00 Japan
5/27 21:00 Mongolia
5/28 19:00 China
5/29 21:00 South Korea
5/30 21:00 Hong Kong

Taiwan NT Roster:
Chen Chih-chun (Yulon)
Lee Hsueh-lin (Yulon)
Chou Shih-yuan (Yulon)
Tsun Wen-din (Yulon)
Tien Lei (Dacin)
Chang Chi-feng (Dacin)
Chen Shih-nian (TB)
Ho Sho-jen (TB)
Yang Che-yi (VL)
Lee Chi-yi (VL)
Yang Yu-min (ETSN)
Wu Dai-hao (ETSN)
Yang Chin-min (BOT)