South Korea Cruises Past Mongolia to Secure Early Berth in Women's Basketball Quarterfinals [AG Video]

Riding the momentum of the men's team's gold medal win the previous day, the South Korean women's basketball national team overwhelmingly defeated Mongolia to secure an early spot in the quarterfinals.

The South Korean women's basketball team, led by head coach Suho, secured a dominant 88-61 victory against Mongolia in their Group C match of the group stage at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, today (September 21).

With this victory, South Korea claimed its second straight win in the group stage (4 points) and secured an early qualification for the quarterfinals regardless of the outcome of their remaining match against Taiwan.

In this tournament, 11 teams are divided into three groups for the group stage, with the first and second-place teams from each group, along with the top two third-place teams overall, advancing to the quarterfinals.

In Group B, the teams in 3rd and 4th place (Hong Kong and Kazakhstan) have both suffered two losses, while in Group A, which features three countries, 3rd-place Thailand has also recorded two losses.

Previously in their opening group stage match, South Korea defeated Malaysia 106-40, marking a massive 66-point victory.

The upward surge ignited by the men's team capturing the Asian Games summit for the first time in 12 years the day before continued onto the court for the women's team.

Lee Hae-ran led the attack with 20 points and 6 rebounds, while Sohee injected energy into the court with 19 points and 4 assists.

Kang Lee-seul, returning from injury, showcased her clear presence by pouring in 15 points, including three 3-pointers, despite playing for only 16 minutes.

Heo Ye-eun orchestrated the offense with 8 assists, and 10 participating players evenly activated the scoring column to combine for a complete victory.

South Korea fiercely pressured Mongolia right from the first quarter.

It was an entirely one-sided affair for South Korea as they completely shut down Mongolia for the first three and a half minutes or so, jumping ahead to a 12-point lead.

Mongolia's first field goal did not come until 4 minutes and 28 seconds left in the opening quarter.

Kang Lee-seul poured in 10 points in the first quarter alone, including two 3-pointers, to seize the initiative at 28-9. In the second quarter, Sohee and Lee Hae-ran activated their scoring as South Korea finished the first half with a massive 32-point lead at 51-19.

Entering the second half with a comfortable lead, South Korea maintained relaxed control and smoothly wrapped up the match with a 27-point blowout victory without any upsets.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.