There are basketball leagues in universities. The Korea University Sports Federation (KUSF), chaired by Chung Jin-Taek, President of Korea University, holds the University Sports League (U-League) every year. The U-League guarantees student athletes' right to learn, improve their performance, forms a culture of university members' participation, and raises university awareness. It slowed down for a while due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but regained vitality in the return season.

Pusan National University (PNU) has a women's basketball team participating in the U-League. PNU BASKETBALL, the women's basketball team of PNU, did not prepare adequately for this season in the aftermath of COVID-19. Several players were injured, making it difficult to operate the team during this season. However, the "PNU BASKETBALL" played one step further than the basketball team of other universities and overcame the difficulties by joining together.

The "PNU BASKETBALL" won the "2022 KUSF U-League" with solid defenses based on excellent organizational skills. They have won for three consecutive years in 2019, 2020, and 2022, except for 2021, when the U-League was not held. In particular, the defensive indicators were very prominent. They were ranked first in steals and blocks. The average loss per game was 52 points, 13.4 points lower than the baseball team of Dankook University.

On July 28th, "Channel PNU" met players of "PNU BASKETBALL", Kim Sae-Byeol (20, Dept. of Physical Education), Lee Jung-Eun (20, Dept. of Physical Education), Park Da-Jung (21, Dept. of Physical Education), and Lee Eun-so (22, Dept. of Physical Education), at PNU Gyeongam Gym to hear the behind story of the victory.  

Q. You've won the regular league title for three consecutive years, so please tell us how you feel about winning.

-Kim Sae-Byul: I was injured during the season, but I'm glad I overcame it well and won.

-Lee Jung-Eun: We played many challenging games due to players' injuries. But we finally won, and I'm so happy. I haven't played many games, so I'm grateful to my teammates.

-Park Da-Jeong:When I was a freshman, it was regrettable that the regular league was not held because of COVID-19. But this year, the regular league resumed, so I was able to play. I'm so happy to win the league I first participated in.

-Lee Eun-So:I was excited because it was my first win since I came to PNU.

Q. What kind of difficulties did you face while playing the league games?

-Kim Sae-Byul: Since my position is the *center, I focused on **rebounding, but I don’t think I did well. So, I was focused on improving my rebounding as the league moved into the second half.

-Lee Jung-Eun:I’ve had a lot of injuries. So rather than playing for a long time, I analyzed how to operate the game with a low risk of injury and focused on three-point shots.

-Park Da-Jeong:The results didn’t come out as much as I practiced. I think other players did their part enough to win the league. Since I am a three-point shooter, I tried to shoot a lot. And I am quite tall on my team, so I tried to participate in the rebounding actively. 

-Lee Eun-So: Since I didn’t have much time to play, I did my best when I played the game.

Q. The playoffs begin in September. Please tell me what you’re focusing on and how you feel.

-Kim Sae-Byul: I’m focusing on rebounds and under-the-basket shots. I want to win in the playoffs by supplementing the parts I’ve practiced so far.

-Lee Jeong-Eun: We know each other well in the playoffs because we will match up against the same teams in the league. I thought it could be more complex, but on the other hand, it could be easy, so I tried to make our plays. Personally, I want to finish this year without getting injured.

-Park Da-Jeong:Since many players were already wounded, we tried to prevent them from getting injured. That didn’t stop us from training until the end. We are trying to make different plays because other teams will analyze our games. Above all, I think it's essential to strengthen teamwork.

-Lee Eun-So: My strength is the mid-range shot, so I'm trying to improve my shooting accuracy. Also, I am trying to play the role of the center better. ​​So far, I've only been shooting, but I've also tried to dribble.

Q. Many fans cheered for the league. Please say something to them.

-Kim Sae-Byul: Thank you for your interest and support in the regular league. We'll show you more during the playoffs, so please come and cheer for "PNU BASKETBALL."

-Lee Jung-Eun: We've been practicing hard to show you a good game, so please come and cheer for us.

-Park Da-Jeong: Thank you to the fans who visit and watch our games. That has a positive influence on our performances. I'm especially encouraged by the fan's support, so I hope many fans come to cheer for us.

-Lee Eun-So:PNU, fighting!

"PNU BASKETBALL" will play the semifinal of the playoff at 2PM on September 3rd at Gyeongam Gym. The opponent in the semifinals is the basketball team of Gwangju University. Another semifinal match is between Dankook University and Suwon University. If "PNU BASKETBALL" wins the semifinals, it will play in the finals against the winner of the other semifinal match. The final game will be held at 2PM on September 6th at Gyeongam Gym.

*Center: Someone who plays a middle position on a team. 

**Rebounding: Catching the ball after a shot has missed going in the basket.

Reporter Im Hyeon-Gyu

Translated by Seo Hae-Seong