THE tone of the series shifted in just one game.
What once looked like an experience-driven matchup quickly tilted after Kevin Quiambao and Goyang Sono pulled off a gritty 69-63 comeback win over defending champion Changwon LG in Game 1 of the Korean Basketball League semifinals on Thursday.
Make no mistake, it didn’t come easy.
The Skygunners were on the ropes early, trailing 36-23 at halftime, as Carl Tamayo powered the Sakers' strong start with his steady scoring.
But the second half told a different story.
Goyang Sono began to chip away in the third, tightening its defense and finding better offensive rhythm to trim the deficit to 54-46 heading to the final frame.
From there, the Skygunners flipped the script once and for all, holding the Sakers to just nine points, turning defensive stops into momentum-shifting plays at the other end.
Quiambao and Tamayo's final outputs
Quiambao struggled offensively, but still filled the stat sheet with eight points, five rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and a steal.
Tamayo, meanwhile, led all scorers with 19 points, keeping Changwon in rhythm for most of the night, but the offense around him faltered when it mattered most.
In the end, for a team that entered the series as the lower seed, Goyang Sono didn’t just steal a game, it took away control.
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