THE NUMBERS

Waseda 98, Tsinghua 91 (26-26, 25-18, 26-21, 21-26).

Eiji Shimoyama had 17 assists, the most in AUBL history. The previous record was 12, which he had already tied twice this tournament. He played all 40 minutes, added 12 points and five steals, and did not commit a single turnover.

Waseda's 30 team assists and 16 steals are both AUBL26 records. Shin Matsumoto scored 30 on 7-of-17 shooting from 3-point range and took nine rebounds. Takezo Nozu had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Taichi Kadekawa scored 15 on 7-of-12 shooting for Waseda, who assisted on 30 of their 34 baskets (88%) — an AUBL26 record.

Tsinghua shot better from the field, 51.6% to 46.6%, and won the paint 48-36, but turned the ball over 23 times to Waseda's 12. Xi Taicheng scored 22 on 10-of-11 shooting for Tsinghua, and Xu Xitong added 15. Shi Kui, in the last game of his AUBL career, fouled out with 8 points.

Waseda University (早稲田大学)

• Points: 30 — Shin Matsumoto (松本　秦) Player of the Game · 16 — Takezo Nozu (野津　洸創) · 15 — Taichi Kadekawa (嘉手川　太一)
• Rebounds: 10 — Takezo Nozu (野津　洸創) · 9 — Shin Matsumoto (松本　秦)
• Assists: 17 — Eiji Shimoyama (下山　瑛司), all-time AUBL record

Tsinghua University (清华大学)

• Points: 22 — Xi Taicheng (隰泰诚) · 15 — Xu Xitong (许熙桐) · 13 — Yang Kaiwen (杨凯文)
• Rebounds: 8 — Xi Taicheng (隰泰诚) and Xu Xitong (许熙桐)
• Assists: 5 — Ou Qiluoqiaowendu (欧其洛乔温都)

GAME RECAP

Eiji Shimoyama had 17 assists without a single turnover, shattering the AUBL single-game record, and Shin Matsumoto scored 30 points as Waseda beat Tsinghua 98-91 on Tuesday to take third place in their first AUBL.

Tsinghua led 15-13 five minutes in and the teams traded the lead 20 times in a first quarter that ended 26-26. By the end of the game, Tsinghua had spent less than eight minutes with the lead.

The game turned in the second. Matsumoto scored 13 in the quarter with three 3-pointers, Shimoyama fed Waseda to a 25-18 edge, and Shi Kui's two 3-pointers — his only points of the day — were all Tsinghua had in answer. Waseda took a 51-44 lead into halftime and did not trail again.

Waseda opened the 3rd on a run and never looked back. They outscored Tsinghua 16-10 in the first five minutes of the third. Takezo Nozu scored nine in the quarter, and the lead reached 77-65 by the end of the 3rd.

Tsinghua made a game of it late. Xu Xitong scored eight in a 26-21 fourth quarter run and Liu Qingwen added six, all of his points on the day, and the deficit was down to seven in the final minute. Waseda held them off at the line, where Kenshin Kido made six free throws.

Looking at the numbers, Tsinghua did most everything right. They shot 51.6% to Waseda's 46.6%, outscored them 48-36 in the paint and 34-22 off the bench, and got the most efficient scoring game of Xi Taicheng's AUBL career, 22 points on 10-of-11 shooting. However, they also committed 23 turnovers, and Waseda — the smallest team in the tournament — took 16 steals, an AUBL26 record, and outscored Tsinghua 12-5 off turnovers.

Matsumoto made 7 of 17 from 3-point range and grabbed nine rebounds, closing the tournament with 149 points in five games (29.8 ppg). He broke the AUBL scoring record twice this week.

Shimoyama finished with 12 points, 17 assists and five steals in 40 minutes, his 5th double-double in five games. His 62 career assists passed Shi Kui's 56 as the most in AUBL history.

In his final game, Shi Kui leaves as the league's all-time leader in points, with 166, and 3-pointers made, with 32.

LOOKING AHEAD

Waseda finish third in their first AUBL, having lost only to Tsinghua in Group Stage and NCCU in the Semifinals.

Tsinghua, the AUBL25 runners-up, finish fourth.