Iran exacts revenge on Korea, gains semis

Japan demolishes Qatar 

CHANGSHA – Iran erased the stigma of its Incheon Asiad gold-medal game loss to South Korea yesterday, playing a relentless game throughout to get back at the Koreans, 75-62, and earn the first berth in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship Final Four at the Changsha Social Work Gymnasium here yesterday.

The Iranians engaged the sleek, sweet-shooting Korean team to a defensive battle, controlling the boards and neutralizing the Koreans’ dreaded gunners in posting the decisive victory that sent them to an expected semifinal showdown with the host team.

China was expected to blast India in their own Final Eight duel last night.

“We prepared two and a half months for these last three games. One game down and two to go. We played real good defense and it paid off against the Koreans,” said scrappy Iranian forward Oshin Sahakian.

Japan dominated the taller Qatar side in the early going and went on to fashion out an 81-67 rout to nail the second semifinal berth.

The Japanese will next play the winner in the Philippines-Lebanon match being played at presstime for a spot in the finals.

With their super formidable starting five of Hamed Haddadi, Nikkhah Bahrami, Mahdi Kamrani, Hamed Afagh and Sahakian, the Iranians imposed themselves early, leading all the way in their second straight win following their loss to Gilas Pilipinas in the second round of the prelims.

“Our players understood that the Koreans always play well early in games. They were 18 points up on China and 12 up against Qatar before losing those games,” said Iran coach Dirk Bauermann.

“Our players understood that we’d got to come out ready and win the first five minutes of the game. And I think we did. Doing that helped make the rest of the game easier for us,” Bauermann added.

Haddadi collected 18 points and 14 rebounds while Sahakian and Afagh added 12 and 11 points, respectively, as the Iranians inched closer to a fourth finals in the last five stagings of the biennial regional meet.

Third placers in Wuhan in 2011 and in Manila in 2013, the Koreans failed to make a third straight semifinals as they sputtered in the face of the stonewall Iran defense.

They were held to a measly 2-of-13 three-pointers and were badly battered at the paint, 28-44.

“I think the key really was our defensive performance. It was an outstanding performance against outstanding offensive team,” said Bauermann.

The Scores:

GiLAS PiLiPiNAS 82 – Castro 25, Blatche 24, Romeo 10, Pingris 8, Abueva 7, Norwood 5, De Ocampo 3, Ganuelas 0, Thoss 0, Hontiveros 0.

LEBANON 70 – Haidar 18, Bawji 17, Youngblood 12, Abd 8, Arakji 8, Saoud 7, Akl 0.

quarterscores: 20-16, 37-32, 57-49, 82-70.