Hanvit And Samsung, `Game Is Not over Yet`

The final victory will be determined in the third game.

Both the Hanvit Bank Hansae and the Samsung Life Insurance Bichumi were driven to the critical situation in which they might be left off the playoffs due to the loss in the first game, but they turned over the final decision to the third game by winning the second game as if they promised.

Hanvit Bank yesterday defeated Hyundai Hyperion, 63-57, in the second playoff game of the 2001 Shinsegae E-mart Women`s Basketball League, which was held at Hoban Gymnasium, Chuncheon, and made an equilibrium of one win and one loss.

Samsung Life Insurance, which helplessly lost by 14 points in the first game, also captured the come-from-behind victory at Suwon Indoor Gymnasium.

Thus, the champion contesters will be decided in the playoff third game, which will be held at Changchung Gymnasium today.

The game of Hanvit and Hyundai was determined by the teamwork and the tactics of the bench. If one team replaced a player, the other sent to the court the player who has been strong against the replaced opponent during the regular season. Thus, both teams have been using 9 players respectively.

Through the third quarter, Hanvit was enjoying the 11-point lead, 52-41. But Jung Duk-Hwa, the head coach of Hyundai never showed the agitation. It is because Hyundai players were able to execute the front court press, which is the defensive tactic to reverse the game like `a heirloom sword`.

As expected, as soon as the fourth quarter began, Hyundai players pressed Hanvit players from the opponent`s end line to tie up them, and have added the points.

After all, being chased by just two points 4 minutes before the end of game, Hanvit had to face the critical situation (57-55) in which the lead might be taken.

In such a crisis, an outstanding tactic struck Hanvit Head Coach Park Myung-Soo. As Park substituted a small point guard Kim Hwa-Young (1m 65), who has a great ball-keeping ability for Kim Na-Yeon who made a lot of errors, the passing became lively.

As Cho Hye-Jin and Catriana, who received the pass from Kim Hwa-Young, continued to score by driving the ball with lay-ups and cutting plays, Hanvit Bank determined the victory, widening the lead to 61-55.

Injuring his right ankle and foot during the press defense practice three days before the game, Head Coach Park Myung-Soo jumped with the joy, forgetting the pain in his plastered foot, as his secret strategy hit the mark.

At Suwon, Samsung Life Insurance won the 2-point victory, thanks to the great performance of winter league MVP Byun Yeon-Ha, who scored 8 points including two three-point shots in the fourth quarter. Shinsegae trailed Samsung with Anda`s middle-range shoot and Jung Sun-Min`s free throw when 1 minute 36 seconds left, but had to give up the game as Jung`s two shots missed the rim just before the end of game.

jeon@donga.com