[Interview] 'Third time's the charm' finally at the summit, a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback by Coach Baek Ji-eun... "A championship created by everyone"

*This content was translated by AI.

After two setbacks, the third challenge finally led to the top. Coach Baek Ji-eun (39) and Dankook University have finally reached the summit.

On the 15th, Dankook University defeated Pusan National University 73-67 in the women's final of the 42nd MBC Cup National University Basketball Championship held at Sangju Gymnasium in Sangju, Gyeongsangbuk-do.

With this victory, Dankook University claimed its second MBC Cup title overall and its first since 2021, five years later.

It was not an easy match. From the early stages of the game, Dankook University struggled against Pusan National University and ended the third quarter trailing 43-51.

However, even with an eight-point deficit, they did not give up. They tightened their defensive focus to gradually narrow the score gap and, in offense, leveraged their aces such as Yang In-ye and Natsumi Tamagawa to score consecutively. Ultimately, Dankook University turned the tide, securing a thrilling comeback victory and lifting the championship trophy.

In a phone interview with StarNews on the 16th, Coach Baek Ji-eun said, "I am so happy we won. As you can see from the records, no single player stood out; it was a victory achieved by all players coming together as one." She added, "Not only the players on the court but also those on the bench became one. The fact that the entire team created this championship is what I am most grateful for."

Although a day has passed since the joy of winning, Coach Baek smiled and said, "I am so happy I don't know how to express it."

For the past two years, Dankook University reached the finals but had to settle for runner-up status. Last year, they lost to Pusan National University in the final. Ahead of their third final appearance, they faced significant pressure along with a firm goal: "We must win this time."

Coach Baek stated, "It was a game where players could feel immense pressure, and they took on the heavy burden of having to win. I am glad that after overcoming two years of failures, the players performed well and secured the championship. This experience seems to have helped them grow even further."

There was another layer of pressure. Although Dankook University was the challenger seeking revenge for last year's defeat, Pusan National University faced a coaching vacancy this year, leading many to expect that Dankook University should naturally win.

Coach Baek reflected, "As the narrative that we absolutely had to win kept circulating, the players found it very difficult. It was not a situation where they could approach the final with a light heart."

This pressure also showed in their performance. Until the third quarter, Dankook University committed frequent errors and surrendered control to Pusan National University. Coach Baek remarked, "I have never seen the players perform like this before."

However, everything changed completely in the 'promised fourth quarter.' With Coach Baek's passionate encouragement, the players' expressions shifted, and Dankook University ultimately completed their championship with a comeback victory.

Coach Baek explained, "Even so, the players pushed through until the very end. On the bench, they encouraged each other saying, 'Sisters, are you okay? We can do this,' while the players on the court supported one another, cheering, 'We can do it. We can overcome this.'"

She continued, "In the end, the players overcame that situation themselves. When I think about the fourth quarter of this final, it seems like a truly meaningful championship for both the players and me."

Even when asked to name a specific player as the key figure in the victory, Coach Baek once again emphasized 'one team.' She said, "Every player performed exceptionally well in their respective roles. Third- and fourth-year players led the younger ones effectively, while the younger players followed their seniors closely. Our team's atmosphere is so good that it would be difficult to single out just one person." She added with a smile.

Now, Dankook University will aim for the 2026 KUSF University Basketball League championship. This season, they have demonstrated formidable strength by winning all seven games.

Coach Baek stated, "As we have always discussed with the players, our goal this year is a perfect-season championship. We are not satisfied with this victory and will rebuild the team to prepare for the remainder of the season."

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*This content was translated by AI.