S. Korea cruises past Kazakhstan for 2nd straight win in women's handball

South Korea pounded Kazakhstan 42-18 for its second straight win in women's handball at the Asian Games on Sunday. Woo Bitna led the onslaught with 10 goals as South Korea enjoyed an easy win at Kasugai City Gymnasium in Kasugai, just northeast of the main host city, Nagoya. Lee Won-jung and Jo Eun-been had five goals apiece. The win came a day after a 48-16 rout of Hong Kong on Saturday. The women's handball tournament will not have a knockout phase this year. The top three nations out of seven after round-robin play will be the medalists. South Korea will next play Uzbekistan on Wednesday, China on Friday, Vietnam on Saturday and Japan next Sunday. Barring upsets along the way, the South Korea-Japan showdown will likely determine the gold medal. South Korea held a 4-3 lead early and then blew the game wide open with a 12-1 run, scoring one fast-break goal after another. South Korea led 18-8 at halftime and then outscored Kazakhstan 24-10 in the latter half. Coached by Lee Kye-chung, South Korea is trying to win its first women's handball title since 2018. Lee was also the team's head coach