Goyang Sono Sky Gunners succeeded in rebounding despite a difficult back-to-back schedule, reviving hopes for advancing to the semifinals. At the center was ‘ace’ Lee Jeong-hyeon (27), who led the team in both offense and defense.
Goyang Sono won 80-62 in the 5th round home game against Korea Gas Corporation held at Goyang Sono Arena in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 1st. They were dragged through the first half, but turned the game around in the third quarter and maintained the lead until the end.
With this win, Sono erased the disappointment of losing 59-79 in an away game against Seoul SK Knights on January 31, and improved to 3 wins and 1 loss in the last 4 games.
On this day, Sono’s players showed a heavy body overall due to a somewhat tight schedule until the second quarter, but from the third quarter, they turned the game around with strong defense and energy level and won a landslide victory. Lee Jeong-hyun, who played 32 minutes and 58 seconds on this day and played a great role with 25 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists, was the leading figure in the victory. He showed great concentration, scoring 22 points in the second half alone.
Jeong-Hyeon Lee, who was interviewed officially as the Distinguished Player, breathed a sigh of relief, saying, “The achievement was that we changed the mood with a win instead of suffering consecutive losses.” He continued to look back on the game, saying, “In fact, in the first half, I lost concentration in offense and defense, and my balance and rhythm were a mess.”
At the same time, he pointed out that a breakthrough was found through the screen of new foreign player Igidius Motskavicius. Jeong-Hyeon Lee gave credit for the victory, saying, “Thanks to Igidius’ high-quality screen, the defenders had a hard time catching up. In the end, good space was created. I think these aspects helped us find our condition and rhythm in the second half.”
Sono’s attention now turns to the match against Busan KCC Egis, which will be held at home on the 4th. Currently, Sono is in 7th place with a 3.5 game gap from KCC. KCC may meet Seoul SK on the 2nd, with a 3-game gap between them. If Sono catches the game on the 4th, the gap can be narrowed to 2 games. It is evaluated as close to a watershed moment in the season, as the results of this game will determine whether the team establishes a bridgehead for entering the semifinals or moves further away.
Lee Jeong-hyun expressed his strong will, saying, “Our players have not given up on the semifinals yet. We always try to do our best. In some ways, I think the KCC game is really important. That’s why we will rest well for the remaining schedule, prepare well, and win for sure to keep the spark for the semifinals alive.”
Fans are paying attention to whether Sono will be able to capture KCC and write a dramatic turnaround story for spring basketball, as promised by ‘Ace’ Lee Jeong-hyeon.
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