'A staggering 66-point margin' Korean women's basketball secures a decisive victory in the Asian Games opener... Malaysia crushed 106-40

*This content was translated by AI.

It was a stunning 66-point victory. The South Korean women's national basketball team announced a strong start to their campaign at the first match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Led by head coach Park Su-ho, South Korea secured a decisive 106-40 win over Malaysia in the Group C opener of the women's basketball tournament held on the 18th at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan.

Having just competed in the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, South Korea immediately entered this tournament and exploded for triple-digit scoring from the outset, continuing their march toward a fourth consecutive medal appearance at the Asian Games. In this tournament, 11 teams are divided into three groups for group play; the top two teams from each group and the two best third-place teams advance to the quarterfinals.

On this day, South Korea attempted 35 three-point shots, making 15 for a 43% success rate, while also converting 15 of 17 free throws for an impressive 88% success rate. They completely dominated the boards in rebounding battles, out-rebounding Malaysia 52 to 26.

With balanced contributions from all players, six players scored in double figures. Lee So-hee led the offense with 21 points, four steals, and four assists, including five made three-pointers. Choi Yi-sam added 19 points and seven rebounds. Heo Ye-eun contributed 11 points and eight assists, while Kang Yu-rim hit three three-pointers to score 11 points. Lee Hae-ran (12 points) and Jung Hyun (10 points) also reached double-digit scoring.

Additionally, Ahn Hye-ji orchestrated the game with 10 assists (2 points), and Hong Yu-soon secured eight offensive rebounds to contribute 9 points and 12 rebounds, firmly anchoring the paint. Jin An-do also fulfilled her role with 8 points and 7 rebounds.

The start was somewhat shaky. With only 11 players on the roster, South Korea fell behind 6-8 early in the match. However, their defense improved from mid-first quarter, and they went on a scoring run to take a 22-10 lead by the end of the first period.

The gap widened uncontrollably as the second quarter began. South Korea hit seven three-pointers from beyond the arc alone, dismantling Malaysia's defense. Through aggressive frontcourt pressure, they forced consecutive turnovers and capitalized with easy fast-break points. Malaysia was stifled by South Korea's defensive wall, committing numerous turnovers in the first half that led to their own downfall.

Leading by 37 points at halftime, South Korea did not ease up in the second half. In the third quarter, Lee Hae-ran, Lee So-hee, Heo Ye-eun, and Hong Yu-soon evenly added points, extending the lead to 81-32 and effectively sealing the game early. With a comfortable margin, South Korea utilized their bench players evenly and reached the 100th-point mark with Jung Hyun's clean three-pointer with 4 minutes and 20 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

The game concluded with a 66-point victory for South Korea. Of the 11th players on the roster, only captain Kang Yi-seul did not take the court for rest purposes.

After a crisp opening win, South Korea will face Mongolia in their second group match at the same venue at 1 p.m. on the 21st.

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*This content was translated by AI.