Australia, Japan, Korea, and Iran lock Quarter-Finals berth at U16 Asian Championship 2022

DOHA - Australia wrapped up their run in the Group Phase with yet another resounding win, 88-41, which actually lowers their average margin of victory down to 57.4 per game.

The losing side of this game, Bahrain, actually held the lead for the majority of the first quarter, a total of 6:38 minutes, before the Crocs unleashed a 20-0 to leave their opponents in the dust.

All of the fielded Australia players got on the scoreboard while shooting 54.5 percent from the field as a team, with 4 players scoring in double digits.

It was once again another impressive game from Rocco Zikarsky, who continues to turn heads with his play here in Qatar. The center had 10 points, 15 rebounds, and 2 blocks in just under 20 minutes of action.

With the win, the Crocs advance directly to the Quarter-Finals where they await the winner of the Qualifying Phase game between the Philippines and Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, Bahrain are effectively eliminated from the competition.

The second game of the day gave us our first overtime session of the competition as Korea and New Zealand battled down to the wire with the former team coming out on top, 73-79.

New Zealand had led by as much as 12 points on the power of their inside players, but were unable to hold on to that cushion. Korea had the chance to end the game in regulation with two free-throw attempts to take the lead with one second to go, but Ko Chan You missed both shots to send the game to an extra period.

Ko made up for his late game misses and took over in overtime, finishing the game with 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals.

The win advances Korea directly to the Quarter-Finals where they await the winner of the game between Lebaon and Qatar in the Qualifying Phase. For New Zealand, they will face Kuwait in the Qualifying Phase for a shot at playing against Iran in the Quarter-Finals.

Another marquee matchup of the day was between Japan and the Philippines, a rematch of the Qualifiers from the 2018 edition of the competition. While the Philippines won narrowly the last time these two teams matched up, it would be Japan who would come out victorious in another close game, 73-67.

The first half was showtime for Yuto Kawashima, who already had a double-double by halftime and nearly outscored the Philippines all by himself heading into the locker room with 21 points. Kawashima would end the game with 26 points, 18 rebounds, and 3 assists.

The Philippines rallied back in the second half as Caelum Harris found his groove, overcoming a 0-5 shooting slump at the start of the game to finish with 18 points.

In the end, it was not enough to get the Philippines the lead, leaving Japan as the undefeated team from Group C.

Japan will now go directly to the Quarter-Finals and await the winner of the Qualifying Phase clash between India and Indonesia.

India survived an early surge from the hosts Qatar before blowing through the second half for a big victory, 77-51.

The key core four of India, Harsh Dagar, Jaideep Rathore, Kushal Singh, and Lokendra Singh, continues to shoulder the bulk of the work for the team. The quartet put up solid numbers in yet another impressive performance for India.

Both teams will advance to play in the Qualifying Phase. As previously mentioned, India will face Indonedia for a chance at facing Japan in the Quarter-Fianls, while Qatar will face Lebanon for a shot to advance and play against Korea.

The final game of the day ended with Iran coming out on top of their regional rivals Lebanon, 73-56.

Lebanon never led throughout the entire game, but managed to stay energetic and keep the game close, especially early in the second half. The key point for Iran in this game was their defense which forced Lebanon to commit 20 turnovers, turning into 20 points for the victors.

Mohammad Amini was once again the star of the game for Iran, posting an jaw-dropping line of 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 steals. Sarem Jafari also added in 18 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks.

The win puts Iran directly in the Semi-Finals of the competition as they await the result of the game between New Zealand and Kuwait in the Qualifying Phase. Lebanon, in the meanwhile, will play against Qatar on Jun 16 for the opportunity to advance and face Korea.
 

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