South Korea secured a place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIBA U18 Asia Cup after edging Japan 67-64 in Ahmedabad, India, on Tuesday.
The team, coached by Shin Jong-seok, finished atop Group D with three wins in as many games. South Korea had previously defeated Kazakhstan 95-68 and India 90-61, earning a direct berth in the knockout round.
Twin brothers Yoon Ji-hoon and Yoon Ji-won of Kyungbock High School led the way against Japan. Yoon Ji-hoon scored a game-high 27 points while adding three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Yoon Ji-won contributed 12 points and eight rebounds.
South Korea led 20-17 after the opening quarter but struggled offensively in the second, scoring only eight points as Japan took a 37-28 lead into halftime.
The momentum shifted after the break. Yoon Ji-hoon scored 10 points in the third quarter to help South Korea take the lead at 49-48 entering the final period.
Japan regained a five-point advantage after Yoon Ji-won fouled out, but South Korea rallied again. Yoon Ji-hoon delivered a key basket with 19.3 seconds remaining as his team completed the three-point comeback win.
South Korea will meet the winner of Bahrain and Taiwan in the quarterfinals on Friday.
(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)
khnews@heraldcorp.com
