South Korea U-18 Basketball Team Defeats Japan to Sweep Group Stage and Advance to Quarterfinals

The South Korean under-18 (U-18) men's basketball national team, led by head coach Shin Jong-seok, has secured a spot in the quarterfinals as the top team in their group following an exhilarating victory in the Korea-Japan matchup.

In the final Group D match of the 2026 FIBA U-18 Asia Cup held on the 18th (KST) at the Veer Savarkar Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, the South Korean U-18 team edged out Japan 64-67 in a tight contest.

Having previously defeated Kazakhstan (95-68 win) in the first match and India (90-61 win) in the second, South Korea capped off their group stage with a 3-0 record after beating Japan, confirming first place in Group D and securing a direct ticket to the quarterfinal tournament.

The protagonists of the victory were the "twin brothers" Yoon Ji-won and Yoon Ji-hoon (both from Kyungbok High School).

Yoon Ji-hoon spearheaded the offense with a stellar performance of 27 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, while Yoon Ji-won provided solid backup by contributing 12 points and 8 rebounds across the court.

South Korea gained the early momentum in the first quarter by forcing 6 turnovers from Japan, ending the period ahead at 20-17.

However, in the second quarter, their perimeter shooting went cold, limiting them to just 8 points while giving up 20 straight points, leaving them trailing 28-37 at halftime.

The counterattack began in the second half after regrouping.

In the third quarter, Yoon Ji-hoon shifted the momentum by pouring in 10 points, including a 3-pointer, successfully turning the game around to 49-48 before entering the final fourth quarter.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Yoon Ji-won fouled out, temporarily handing the lead back to Japan at 52-57, but South Korea did not lose their concentration.

Following a tenacious chase, Yoon Ji-hoon scored a decisive basket with 19.3 seconds remaining in the game, putting the finishing touch on a thrilling 3-point comeback victory.

Having finished the group stage on a high note with an undefeated record, South Korea will face the winner of the Bahrain-Taiwan match in the quarterfinals the day after tomorrow.

(Photo: Captured from FIBA website, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.