ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (22nd FIBA Asia U18 Championship): Last edition’s silver medalists Korea unleashed an offensive flurry early in the game and then cantered along beating archrivals and fellow East Asian team Japan 91-69 to open their campaign in Group B of the Prelim Round on Friday.

Lee Jonghyun (pic above), the tallest and the most experienced of the Korean players, led his team’s charge with 19 points and 6 rebounds as coach Kim Young Rae gave all his players a fee of the court with six of them scoring in the double-digits.

“I am happy we didn’t show any signs of nervousness in our first game. I also think we got into our rhythm right away and felt good with the bounce,” Kim Young Rae said.

Lee Jonghyun, a member of the Korean NT that played in the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Caracas (Venezuela), was in the forefront as Korea raked up a 11-0 run in the early part of the quarter. Korea played out time thereafter.

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