Park Ji-soo played a big role in the second game after returning.
Cheongju KB Stars won 62-55 against Shinhan Bank Incheon in the Shinhan Bank SOL 2022-2023 Women’s Professional Basketball regular league held at Cheongju Gymnasium on the 19th.
KB had a rough time this season. Ace Park Ji-soo (193cm, C) had too much gap. In addition, the remaining injuries of the players overlapped. Kang I-seul 메이저놀이터 (180cm, F) and Kim Min-jeong (181cm, F) fought hard, but there were more days of defeat than winning days.
At the time, the KB average loss was 70.3, which was complied with. There was no big difference from other teams except Asan Woori Bank. The problem was the attack. His scoring average was 62.3, which was 5th in the league. Above all, there were many games where goals were lacking in the winning position. In the first 13 matches, they recorded 2 wins and 11 losses.
And Park Ji-soo came back ahead of the Hana 1 Q match in the third round. On this day, Park Ji-soo ran for 7 minutes and 58 seconds, recording 2 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist. In fact, it didn’t have much of an impact on the outcome of the game. But she was a huge help to her team by her presence. Players played more happily and scored more confidently. As a result, they won 77-60. It was a score that was overwhelmingly higher than the average score.
And KB, where Park Ji-soo joined, continued the atmosphere. The opponent was Shinhan Bank. The match between the two teams went to a close. In the end, KB won. Park Ji-soo played 18 minutes in the game and scored 19 points. She was the top scorer in the game.
KB coach Kim Wan-soo, whom I met before the game, said, “I did my best even when other players were not Jisoo. However, he lost his confidence and failed to show his full potential. He can’t say he won because of Jisoo in the last game, but Jisoo’s presence is helping a lot. Other players also seem to be able to play more fun and confidently with Jisoo,” he said, conveying the Park Jisoo effect.
KB gained momentum from the beginning of the game. Kim So-dam (185cm, C) scored consecutively and Heo Ye-eun (165cm, G) and Kang Iseul scored ahead.
KB allowed three-pointers in a row in a 13-5 situation. Then, KB coach Kim Wan-soo requested an operation time and put Park Ji-soo in to change the atmosphere. Park Ji-soo broke the opponent’s flow with a mid-range jumper in the first attack after being put in. And in the last defense, he raised the team atmosphere with a great block shot.
Park Ji-soo’s performance continued in the second quarter. He led the team’s offense late in the second quarter. He was actively shooting. 3 minutes and 33 seconds before the end of the quarter, Heo Ye-eun passed and scored. The next three shots were missed, but a basket count was added 1 minute and 33 seconds before the end of the quarter to make it 29-21. Park Ji-soo, who ran for 4 minutes and 20 seconds, scored 5 points and 1 steal. In addition to the performance of other players, KB finished the first half with 31-23.
After that, Park Ji-soo ran 2 minutes and 55 seconds in the third quarter. He recorded 2 points and 3 rebounds. He fell during the game and made a dizzying scene, but Park Ji-soo’s presence was enough to control his opponent’s attack under the goal. KB, with a strong defense, took a 45-30 lead.
KB faced a crisis by conceding consecutive runs to Sonia Kim in the 4th quarter. However, Park Ji-soo was responsible for all of the team’s first 6 points. Thanks to that, the score gap between the two teams didn’t narrow too much. And just standing on the court gave the opposing strikers a sense of intimidation. As a result, Shinhan Bank players aimed more at shooting outside the goal rather than scoring inside the goal. And it didn’t lead to scoring. Park Ji-soo, who played 6 minutes, fully showed his presence in his karate and defense, which led to victory.
Park Ji-soo, who we met after the game, said, “My body wasn’t 100% perfect, but I thought, ‘Our KB’s style is to run brightly and happily’, and I ran happily too.”
He continued, “In fact, when I first came and practiced, I thought my body was too light. The coach also said that I was really faster than me during training. However, compared to last year, the strength has decreased significantly. It seems that strength needs to be increased through training. Above all, the practical sense is too lacking. I am raising it while watching the match video, but I think I will still need time,” he explained his current condition.
In fact, in the game that day, Park Ji-soo also appeared to be pushed back in a physical fight. In karate and defense, his limbs and limbs did not match with his teammates. However, coach Kim Wan-soo and Gunadan Shinhan Bank coach, whom we met after the game, also said, “It is also Park Ji-soo.”
Director Kim said, “I didn’t expect this much, but it is (Park) Ji-soo. He didn’t play a lot of time, but he put it in the right place well,” and coach Koo said, “Certainly (Park) Ji-soo came back, so KB got in the mood. He is also an index,” he said. In this way, Park Ji-soo is improving his condition through his actual fighting, and during the process, KB also received a gift of two consecutive wins.