The Busan KCC Aegis defeated the Suwon KT Sonic Boom in a hard-fought game.
KCC won 96-94 in the sixth round of the 2023-2024 season at the KT Arena in Suwon on Sunday.
The win was KCC’s second straight victory. After a setback to the Seoul SK Knights on March 3, the team has won two straight games, starting with a victory over the Goyang Sono Skygunners on March 5, to earn its 25th win of the season. They are also 1.5 games behind the sixth-place Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebes.
KT, on the other hand, has lost three straight games. After winning all seven of its matches last month, KT has lost all three of its matches this month. In particular, they lost both games against KCC and also lost to the top-ranked Changwon LG Sigers, raising red flags for their chances in the top half of the standings.
KCC was led by Heo Woong and Ragan-ah with 18 points apiece. Lee Seung-hyun, Lee Ho-hyun, Jung Chang-young, and Alize DeShawn also led the offense with double-digit scoring. Despite being outrebounded, the team showed great focus by committing just six turnovers.
KT was led by Paris Bass with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and four assists, and Han Hee-won with 20 points, one rebound, and one assist, but Ha Yoon-ki and Heo Hoon didn’t get as many points as they should have. They were also less focused than KCC, committing eight turnovers.
In the first quarter, KCC stirred up the dust. They were led by Lee Seung-hyun’s five consecutive points. Even when KCC was trailing at the end of the first quarter, Jung Chang-young hit a three-pointer to give KCC a 27-23 lead in the first quarter.
KCC extended their lead in the second quarter. They scored four and five points in a row at the beginning of the quarter, and the lead quickly grew to nine points. KT tried to pull away through Heo Hoon and Ha Yoon-ki, but KCC ended the half with a 52-42 lead as DeShawn joined the scoring column.
In the third quarter, the gap between the two teams did not decrease. KCC’s Heo Woong started the second half with a two-point basket, and Jung 안전놀이터 Chang-young stepped up to the plate when the score was down to three points. In the third quarter mixer, Ragan-ah and Lee Ho-hyun scored back-to-back baskets to extend the lead to 10 points, 75-65.
KT started the fourth quarter with a furious charge. Han Hee-won’s three-pointer went through the rim, signaling the start of a full-scale comeback. At 88-76, KT’s concentration stood out. Heo Hoon and Moon Jung-hyun scored four and eight points in a row, respectively, to pull within striking distance.
The game came down to the last minute of the fourth quarter, when KT’s Heo Hoon hit a two-pointer with less than a minute left to make it a one-point game. KT drew fouls to create offensive opportunities, and after Heo only made one free throw, Bass hit a three-pointer to tie the game.
Everyone expected KT to win, but the tables were turned. KCC quickly went on the offense and passed the torch to Heo Woong. Heung dribbled by himself with two defenders in front of him and fired a three-pointer that went in, ending the game with a 96-94 KCC victory.