POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
Mohammad Nikkhah
Group C
China - Taiwan 59-58
China snatched a narrow victory over Taiwan to win Group C. Zhou Peng (210-F-89) and Wang Zhelin (215-PF-94) scored 12 points each to pace the winners. China built a 9-point lead after three quarters of action. But Taiwan cut the distance to a single point late in the game and China had to withstand a fierce comeback effort from their opponents to snatch the victory. Tien Lei (202-F-83) delivered 10 points to pace Taiwan as they got eliminated from the tournament with the loss.
Group D
South Korea - Jordan 98-69
South Korea routed Jordan en route to the second straight victory in Incheon. The hosts led from start to finish in this one. South Korea piled up a 50:25 halftime lead. They stretched it to as many as 32 points at the final break and never looked back en route to the victory. Moon Tae-Jong (199-F-75, agency: Alti Sport, college: Richmond) scored 21 points to lead the hosts. Cho Sung-Min (197-F-83) added 15 points for South Korea. Wesam Al-Sous (188-PG-83) responded with 28 points for Jordan. Mohammad Hussein (210-C-90) added 15 points in the loss.
Group E
Iran - Philippines 68-63
Iran toppled Philippines in the heated clash of two powerhouses in Group E. Mohammad Samad Nikkhah Bahrami (199-F-83) stepped up with 23 points to pace the winners as they topped the group. Iran unloaded 29 points in the opening frame to take a comfortable lead. But Philippines erased the deficit and surged ahead for a 3-point advantage at the final intermission. Iran responded with an 18:10 rally to seal the win. Haddadi Hamed (218-C-85) tallied 18 points and 15 rebounds for the Iranian team. Paul Dalistan (184-G-89) responded with 11 points for Philippines.
Group F
Japan - Qatar 71-72
Qatar eked out a narrow victory over Japan to clinch the top position in Group F. Daoud Mousa (193-G-82) posted 15 points to lead Qatar to the victory. Qatar built a 39:31 halftime lead. Japan cut the distance to just 2 points after thirty minutes. They worked hard to deny the distance in the fourth quarter but Qatar managed to hold on to their slender lead at the end stealing the victory. Erfan Ali Saeed (198-PF-83) posted 13 points, while Khalid Suliman (198-G/F-87) added 12 points for Qatar. Naoto Tsuji (185-G/F-89) responded with 19 points for Japan.
