[FIBA 아시아컵 현장리뷰] Lee Hyun-joong and Lee Woo-seok stood out, but… Korea couldn’t surpass Australia in ‘archery basketball’ | Sports Donga

Korea failed to overcome Australia’s barrier in the 2025 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia Cup preliminary group stage.

The men’s national basketball team, led by coach Ahn Jun-ho, lost 75-98 in the fourth home game of Group A against Australia held at Goyang Sono Arena on the 24th. Korea, which gained momentum by winning the second game against Thailand and the third game against Indonesia, was unable to overcome Australia’s barrier and recorded a record of 2 wins and 2 losses in the group stage. Korea will play the 5th and 6th games against Thailand on February 20th and Indonesia on February 23rd next year.

Korea won 86-78 against Indonesia on the 21st, but there were great concerns as the performance was not satisfactory. It was also disappointing that we couldn’t have the best members. While Lee Jeong-hyeon (Goyang Sono) left due to knee joint inflammation, Ha Yoon-ki (Suwon KT) and Kim Jong-gyu (Wonju DB) were also unable to join due to injury, resulting in a significant drop in height. Overseas players Lee Hyeon-joong (Australia Illawarra), who returned to the national team after three years, and Lee Seung-hyeon (Busan KCC), who had extensive experience in international competitions, had to endure.

Moreover, Australia is a team that is superior to Indonesia in both strength and height, so it was expected to be a difficult match. In the first away game, we lost to Australia 71-85, so we had to come up with a more detailed strategy. Coach Ahn also emphasized, “Against Australia, we need to supply the ball smoothly, create better chances, and increase shooting accuracy,” and added, “Lee Hyun-joong’s performance is also important to win air superiority against tall players.”

Unlike the Indonesia game, the day started well. Throughout the first quarter, the offense was centered around Woo-Seok Lee (17 points, 5 rebounds, Ulsan Hyundai Mobis) and Hyun-Joong Lee (14 points, 9 rebounds), and they even induced fouls by the opponent by actively breaking through. Although Australian center Nicholas Kay (13 points, 12 rebounds) struggled with his height, the guard team, including substitute Yoo Yu-sang (6 points, Changwon LG), moved actively and found a breakthrough.

However, in the second quarter, the team was defeated by Australia’s outbursts and the momentum was over. As many as six 3-pointers were hit by Chris Gooding (31 points), Dejan Brilivic (8 points, 7 rebounds), and Kyle Bowen (7 points). We tried to break the flow with two 3-pointers by Byun Jun-hyung (10 points, Anyang Jeonggwanjang), but the Australian players had a very good sense of shooting. They contributed 35 points in the second quarter and finished the first half with a score of 32-54.

Once the flow was over, it did not return. At the end of the third quarter, Shin Seung-min (2 points, Daegu Korea Gas Corporation) drew an unsportsmanlike foul from Australia, and Lee Hyeon-jung and Moon Yoo-hyeon (7 points, Korea University) narrowed the gap to 58-69, but no further pursuit was possible. There wasn’t. Rather, 5 minutes before the end of the game, Ben Hensel (16 points) and Gooding were hit by outside shots again, and the gap widened to 68-90, completely losing the momentum of the chase.

Goyang｜Reporter Kang San [email protected] See more articles by this reporter