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<\/p>\n\n Kang Lee-seul scored 21 points as Korea beat Japan 75-70 for its first women’s basketball Asian Games title since 2014.\n <\/p>\n
\n Gold medalists Team Korea celebrate on the podium after winning the Women’s Basketball in the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on Sept. 26.
\n REUTERS\/YONHAP\n <\/p>\n
Before her Korean team faced Japan on Saturday in the women’s basketball gold medal game at the ongoing Asian Games, captain Kang Lee-seul gathered her teammates for a little pregame talk.<\/p>\n
“I felt we could win this game. I told the girls, ‘Hey, I am feeling pretty confident right now. I have no idea why, but I think we will win today,'” Kang said. “So I said we should just go play with confidence. I felt zero pressure out there, and I think it showed on the court.”<\/p>\n
Kang and the rest of the team went out and beat Japan 75-70 for the gold medal, Korea’s first in women’s hoops since 2014.<\/p>\n
The veteran forward scored 21 points and had seven rebounds, while sinking a couple of clutch free throws with 14 ticks left at Aichi International Arena.<\/p>\n
Kang, who previously won a bronze and a silver at the Asian Games, completed her collection with the gold medal at age 32.<\/p>\n
“I knew Japan had a good team, but they also had some young players,” Kang said of the team, which had an average age of 24, 2.4 years younger than Korea. “So I felt it was important to set the tone early and we would have a tough time if the game got close late. We tried to play at the speed we wanted.”<\/p>\n
Korea jumped out to a 27-15 lead in the first quarter and held Japan to just 32 percent shooting. The Koreans played determined, switch-heavy defense and made 12 of their 20 field goal attempts in that opening frame.<\/p>\n
Stunning the two-time defending champion China 85-80 in the semifinals Friday also helped the team’s collective confidence, Kang added.<\/p>\n
“I would have to say this is the greatest national team I have been a part of,” said Kang, who has been representing the country for a dozen years. “I always feel proud of playing for the country and believe every team I have played on has been a great one. But this is the only team that has won the Asian Games gold medal.”<\/p>\n
Kang said she hoped the victory in Japan would spark interest in basketball back home, specifically women’s basketball.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n Korean basketball player Kang Lee-seul, left, shoots over Japan’s defense during the Asian Games gold-medal game in Nagoya, Japan, on Sept. 26.
\n YONHAP\n <\/p>\n
“I would love to tell people that women’s basketball can be really fun, too,” Kang said. “I hope we will have more girls pick up the sport. We have a small pool of young talent, compared to Japan or China, and I hope to see a new generation of players grow up and take the torch from us.”<\/p>\n
Korea nearly frittered away its 20-point lead, and Japan got to within two points, 72-70, with 15 seconds to go.<\/p>\n
Lee So-hee, who scored 16 points before fouling out late, said Korea did well to overcome some second-half inconsistency.<\/p>\n
Lee, who led Korea with 23 points and made five 3-pointers in the win over China the previous night, said she was glad to have stayed hot for the final.<\/p>\n
“I tend to be a little streaky when it comes to my shooting. I was able to ride the momentum for this game,” she said. “And I also felt confident in myself. Maybe opposing teams didn’t pay much attention to me because I was never really a big name, and it worked out in my favor.”<\/p>\n
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