Outstandind NCCU Griffins wins 1st World University Basketball Series championship
Article by International College of Innovation
National Chengchi University’s (NCCU) Griffins basketball team won its first championship at the 2023 World University Basketball Series (WUBS) on Aug. 13.
The team played a few friendly matches in Japan before returning to Taiwan on Aug. 19. After this, they were set to train at a new location until the end of August.
NCCU Griffins Captain, Mbaye Mouhamedlamine, who was named Most Valuable Player (MVP), expressed his happiness at winning the championship – something he failed to achieve last year. He thanked the Griffins’ co-founder, Chiang Feng-nien ( 姜豐年 ), his coach, and teammates, for their perseverance.
In an interview with Japanese media, Mouhamedlamine said that he wants to join the NBA, Japan's B League, and other quality international leagues.
Returning from the World University Games 2023 in Chengdu city, China, as a member of Taiwan’s representative team, Yu I-tse ( 游艾喆 ) also attracted significant attention from Japanese media. Yu said the team has improved significantly by competing in WUBS and had proved its playing strategies work.
In the crucial moment of the final game against Japan's Hakuoh University, Yu had made one out of four free throws. Japanese media were curious about what coach Chen Tzu-wei ( 陳子威 ) said to Yu before the vital throws. Chen replied, "I made a bet with Yu that if he missed the free throws, he would treat us to a meal that night. However, we won, so he does not have to treat us!"
Japanese media praised NCCU's solid defense and mentioned that Sung Hsin-hao ( 宋昕澔 ) has improved significantly compared to last year. Chen explained that NCCU values teamwork and they practiced extensively under different conditions.
Sung said that he lacked confidence in the high-intensity WUBS last year. After improving his physical condition and skills, he found himself better equipped to face stronger opponents.
Team leader Chiang said that by the end of August, they would arrange more off-site training to accelerate the Griffins’ growth. He said the team was focused on steady progress and excited to take on global challenges.
NCCU President Li Tsai-yen ( 李蔡彥 ) said the university’s long-prepared “bachelor program in sport industry and culture” would promote the spirit of sportsmanship and welcome more students to engage in diverse learning opportunities.
This was the second time for the Griffins to participate in WUBS, achieving three wins. They defeated Japan's Tokai University with a score of 81-75 in the first game and beat Radford University of the U.S. with a score of 79-75 in the second game. In the final match, Hakuoh University lost the game with a score of 90-84.
