SBL, WSBL seasons start, Taiyuan Textile win WSBL league opener

New Taipei, Jan. 7 (CNA) Taiwan’s Super Basketball League (SBL) and Women’s Super Basketball League (WSBL) tipped off Saturday at Fu Jen Catholic University Gymnasium in New Taipei, with Taiyuan Textile playing in the WSBL outhustling Taiwan Power by 11 points 74-63 in the season’s first game.

Taiwan Power forward Liu Hsi-yeh (劉希曄) led all scorers with 19 points, nine rebounds, two assists and one block, while Taiyuan Textile guard Peng Hsiao-tong (彭曉彤) answered with 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Peng also made three of her team’s 10 three-pointers. She was 3-4 from beyond the arc.

After the game Peng said the team is still adjusting as it is the first game of the season.

“This season, no matter starters or players coming off the bench, we need to play to our own tempo, which is to not give ourselves too much pressure. When we get all our players sorted out, our roster will be pretty scary,” she said.

Other games to be played on the first day of the respective season in the first round of games at Fu Jen Catholic University Gymnasium are WSBL teams Cathay Life vs. Chunghwa Telecom, and SBL teams Taiwan Beer vs. Yunlin Dinos, with Bank of Taiwan rounding off the day’s proceedings against Changhua BLL.

The regular season, composed of 60 SBL games and 48 WSBL games, will also include rounds at Banqiao Stadium, Hsinchu Municipal Gymnasium, National Changhua University of Education, and Kaohsiung Fengshan Stadium, according to the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association, the organizers of the leagues.

The teams in the SBL this season are the defending champions Taiwan Beer, Bank of Taiwan, Yulon Dinos, and the new Changhua BLL, while the teams in the WSBL are defending champions Cathay Life, Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Power and Taiyuan Textile.

The SBL and the WSBL ended their seasons early last year in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bank of Taiwan was declared the winner of the SBL based on its regular season record, with Cathay Life declared the winner of the WSBL.