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| Kang I-seul / Photo provided by the Korea Basketball Association |
Head coach Park Su-ho's squad posted an 82-52 victory over Colombia in the third game of the final qualifying round in Voiron, France, on March 15 (KST).
After dropping the opener to Germany, Korea recovered by beating No. 8-ranked Nigeria in the second game and then handling No. 19-ranked Colombia in the third.
Kang I-seul led the charge with 21 points, drilling seven 3-pointers. Park Ji-hyun added 13 points, while Park Ji-su contributed 11 points and six rebounds.
After the game, Coach Park said, \"The players understood how important this game was and stayed focused. Our defensive plan was executed well, and timely outside shooting helped us close out the game.\"
\"The players' commitment to the defensive game plan created a positive cycle that carried over to our offense,\" he added. \"In particular, Kang's hot shooting early energized our offensive flow.\"
On the defensive preparation, he said, \"We analyzed Colombia's key players from Korea and built defensive strategies to counter their strengths. Considering our physical disadvantage, we emphasized rotation defense and reducing space, and that approach proved effective.\"
Kang I-seul said, \"I treated this as the most important game of the tournament, so everyone stayed highly focused. Beating Nigeria had already raised the team's confidence. Because this match mattered so much, the players concentrated, and that led to a high shooting percentage.\"
Kang, who sank six 3-pointers in the first half alone, explained, \"I expected opponents to guard me tightly knowing I'm a shooter. I took my first shot more cautiously and pushed my activity early to create shot opportunities or open space for teammates.\"
Looking ahead to the matchup with the Philippines, she said, \"We face the Philippines often, including at the Asia Cup. The key is to avoid complacency. They have skilled players and strong 3-point shooting, so we need to defend to limit easy looks. If we execute our plays and control the tempo from the start, like we did today, we'll give ourselves the best chance.\"
This qualifying tournament features 24 teams divided into four groups of six, all competing for World Cup berths.
Host nation Germany and AfroBasket champion Nigeria have already secured World Cup spots but are participating in this window. If Korea finishes among the top two of the remaining four teams in their group, they will clinch a place in the World Cup.
[Sports Today reporter Kang Tae-gu sports@stoo.com]
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