MANILA – Samjosef Belangel stepped up in the fourth quarter as Daegu Korea Gas Corporation Pegasus prevailed over Suwon KT Sonicboom, 82-74, in the Korean Basketball League on Tuesday night at the Daegu Gymnasium.
Trailing 64-73 with over three minutes left, the Negrense Belangel converted two inside baskets followed by connections from Andrew Nicholson and Jeong Seong-woo to take a 78-74 advantage.
Following outside misses from the Sonicboom, Belangel converted a three-pointer followed by a split free throw to make it an 82-74 score with under a minute remaining in the game.
Belangel finished the match with 12 points, with eight coming in the fourth quarter, to go with eight assists, one rebound, one steal, and a block as the Pegasus improved to a 6-1 win-loss slate.
Nicholson led the way with a double-double of 33 points and 10 rebounds, while Shin Seung-min and Kim Nak-hyeon ended with 11 markers apiece as the Pegasus won their fifth straight match.
“It was a bang bang bang game,” Pegasus head coach Kang Hyuk said after the game. “It was very tiring. The first half was not good. The parts we promised didn’t work out well. I could have given up in the second half, but I didn’t.”
“We only allowed (the Sonicboom to score) six points in the fourth quarter. I could see our concentration (on defense). I want to applaud them. They seem to be having fun,” he added.
Rayshaun Hammonds finished with a double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds, Heo Hoon added 18 markers, while Ha Yun-gi and Han Hee-won ended with 16 and 10, respectively, as the Sonicboom dropped to 4-3.
Meanwhile, Ethan Alvano and the Wonju DB Promy (1-6) continued their losing skid as they suffered a 79-64 defeat to the Goyang Sono Skygunners (5-2) at the Wonju Sports Complex.
Alvano, the reigning KBL Domestic Player MVP awardee, finished with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals for the DB Promy./PN
