Professional basketball’s Busan KCC defeated defending champion Seoul SK as Ragan Ah became the all-time leading scorer for a foreign player.
KCC defeated SK 90-75 on Nov. 11 in their 2023-2024 regular season home game at Busan Sajik Gymnasium.
Riding a three-game winning streak, fifth-ranked KCC improved to 16-12 and cut the gap to 1.5 games over fourth-place Changwon LG (19-12). The fact that their opponent is second-place SK (22W9L), which was on a 12-game winning streak, further boosts their hopes of breaking into the top tier.
It’s been a month since SK lost to Wonju DB (82-91) on March 12.
KCC’s victory was a double-header. Lagunia’s 29 points and 15 rebounds helped him pass Aaron Haynes (10,878 points) to become the all-time leader in scoring by a foreign player (10,901 points). Lagana is also the all-time leader in rebounds (6,348), so every game from here on out will be a record-breaking one.
Ragan-ah was naturalized in 2018 and plays for the national team. Although he is clearly Korean, the KBL classifies him as a foreign player.
His breakthrough came with 55 seconds left in the first quarter. His mid-range shot brought his career total to 10,880 points, surpassing Haynes. KCC went into halftime with a 48-36 lead, as Lagana ran wild with 12 points and 11 rebounds in the first half alone.
SK’s comeback was no slouch either. Jamil Warney (35 points, 10 rebounds) sparked the comeback, scoring 19 points in the third quarter. He was even able to score in a one-on-one matchup with Laguna.
But Lagana put the finishing touches on his victory in the final quarter. He scored eight points in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, pushing the SK lead to double digits. With momentum on his side, he scored again from under the basket and drew a foul to virtually seal the win.
Heung (22 points) and Choi Jun-yong (15 points) also contributed to the offense, proving why they are the KBL’s super team.
Going into the All-Star break, KCC will look to make a serious push for the top spot when they face the leading DB on the 17th.
