[Cheongju On-Site Review] "Japan has won again" Woori Bank's fierce comeback was in vain... Japan's Fujitsu achieves first-ever three-peat by an overseas team at the Park Shin-ja Cup

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Japan's Fujitsu Red Wave achieved a three-peat at the Park Shin-ja Cup. Asan Woori Bank mounted a fierce chase, but unfortunately settled for the runner-up spot.

Woori Bank lost 71-78 to Fujitsu in the final showdown held on the 11th at the Cheongju Indoor Gymnasium during the 2026 KB Kookmin Bank Park Shin-ja Cup.

With this, Woori Bank failed to overcome the final hurdle despite challenging for its first tournament title. It was not without gains. Following their advancement to the semifinals of the Park Shin-ja Cup for the first time in three years since 2023, they successfully reached the final. They also finished as runners-up at the 2023 tournament.

On the other hand, Fujitsu stood atop the Park Shin-ja Cup for the third consecutive year. It is the first three-peat by an overseas team in the tournament's history. Among domestic teams, Bucheon Hana Bank achieved a three-peat from 2018 to 2020.

Fujitsu's roster was also impressive. It featured Haru Owaki, who played for Japan's Yeo Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Yuki Miyazawa, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2024 Park Shin-ja Cup, and Rui Machida, who played for the Washington Mystics in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), among others.

On this day, Lee Myeong-gwan performed well by scoring 20 points for Woori Bank. "One-two punch" Kang I-seul scored 11 points, including three 3-pointers, and Kim Dan-bi recorded 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists, but they could not prevent the team's defeat.

For Fujitsu, Owaki scored 14 points, while Machida contributed with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists.

A tight contest unfolded from the early stages of the game.

The battle was intense enough that Fujitsu led by a narrow margin of 14-13 until the latter half of the first quarter. However, Fujitsu gained momentum in the closing moments. Owaki added points with free throws, and Rihoko Akagi's 3-pointer went in, ending the first quarter at 19-15.

Fujitsu hit a perimeter shot immediately after the start of the second quarter to pull ahead 22-15.

Woori Bank did not back down. Kim Dan-bi led the chase by sinking consecutive 3-pointers, and Lee Myeong-gwan's perimeter shot also went in, narrowing the gap to 28-26.

However, Fujitsu's offense was also sharp. While Woori Bank's scoring stalled, Owaki and 191cm tall forward Samantha Puring focused their attacks on the paint area to rack up points. With Aoi Yamada's 3-pointer going in with 3 minutes and 48 seconds left in the second quarter, the score became 39-29.

Woori Bank struggled to overcome Fujitsu's height advantage anchored by Puring. They sought a breakthrough through perimeter attacks. Mako Fujimoto recorded a 3-pointer, but they continued to struggle in rim protection and could hardly narrow the gap.

On top of that, Mako Fujimoto committed her fourth personal foul in the second quarter, getting into foul trouble. Woori Bank ended the first half trailing by 12 points, 37-49.

Fujitsu maintained its lead in the second half as well. The gap between the two teams remained around double digits until the end of the third quarter. Still, Woori Bank did not give up.

With 2 minutes and 53 seconds left in the third quarter, Nana Katayama hit a 3-pointer to close the gap to 53-60. With her shooting touch improving, Katayama successfully hit another perimeter shot, pressuring Fujitsu.

Woori Bank entered the final fourth quarter having narrowed the gap to 8 points, 56-64.

And in the fourth quarter, Woori Bank's counterattack began. Raising their defensive focus, they shut down Fujitsu's offense, while their perimeter shots exploded on the offensive end. Lee Myeong-gwan sank a crucial 3-pointer, narrowing the score to just 3 points, 61-64.

Fujitsu also wavered. Woori Bank did not miss this opportunity. With 8 minutes and 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Mako Fujimoto hit a 3-pointer, finally tying the game at 64-64. It was a moment when Woori Bank, which had once trailed by as many as 12 points, completely reset the contest to zero.

However, the resilience of Fujitsu, aiming for a three-peat at the Park Shin-ja Cup, was no small matter. In a situation where they led 73-71, Machida recorded a game-winning 3-pointer. Woori Bank ran until the end to tie the game, but it was in vain. Ultimately, Fujitsu lifted the championship trophy this year as well.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original