Park Jeong-eun Is On a Roll

Park Jeong-eun saved Samsung from what seemed like a sure defeat with a fantastic three-point shot.

During the fourth game of the Women’s Professional Basketball Winter League Championship Finals held on April 4 at Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul, Park’s (eight points, five rebounds) three-pointer turned the game around with 15.4 seconds left in the game, leading Samsung to a 69-68 win.

Now tied at 2-2, the two teams will fight one last time at 3:30 p.m. on April 5 in the same venue for the title.

Samsung led 22-16 in the first quarter with Lauren Jackson (27 points) and Lee Jong-ae (14 points) effectively blocking the formidable “twin towers” of Shinhan Bank, Ha Eun-joo (20 points) and Taj McWilliams (17 points), while showing an admirable performance on the offensive side of the court as well. In the second quarter, Samsung’s veteran point guard Lee Mi-sun (10 points, five assists, five rebounds, five steals), who recently returned after two years on the injury list, took center stage.

However, in the third quarter, the game turned around abruptly. The Samsung players slowed down and allowed Shinhan to catch up, and in the last minutes of the third quarter, Samsung was losing 50-51. Shinhan Bank kept their lead, and it seemed victory was near for them when Park Jeong-eun stepped up.

The score was 64-67 when Park sank a two-pointer, and at 66-68 she made a clean three-point basket, deciding the game in favor of Samsung.

Park was close to tears, saying, “I felt bad that I wasn’t living up to my role as a team leader, but now I think I’ve made it up to the team.”

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