THE NUMBERS

NCCU 72, Yonsei 67 (20-12, 14-17, 17-17, 21-21).

NCCU led for 92% of the game and by as many as 14, outscoring Yonsei 44-30 in the paint. They grabbed 22 offensive rebounds, an AUBL26 record, and the bench scored 46 points to break yet another tournament mark. NCCU went 2/13 (15%) from 3 — right at their usual 13 attempts a game but well under the 33% they shot in the group stage. Yonsei shot 8/34 (24%) from 3 and finished with 13 steals and 21 forced turnovers but converted them into just 10 points.

NCCU (政治大學)

• Points: 11 — Boubacar Mboup (波波卡), Wang Wei Jia (王暐嘉) and Hsieh Min Keng (謝旻耕), Player of the Game
• Rebounds: 12 — Boubacar Mboup (波波卡), 11-12 double-double
• Assists: 4 — Hsu Te Chi (徐得祈)

Yonsei (연세대학교)

• Points: 14 — Gu Seung Chae (구승채) and Lee Chae Hyung (이채형)
• Rebounds: 6 — Lee Byung Yup (이병엽)
• Assists: 11 — Lee Byung Yup (이병엽)

GAME RECAP

Hsieh Min Keng (謝旻耕) scored 11 points off a bench that produced an AUBL26-record 46, and NCCU beat Yonsei 72-67 on Thursday to become the first team into the AUBL26 semifinals and move to 8-0 all-time in AUBL.

Yonsei cut the lead to one twice in the final four minutes. Park Jun Sung (박준성), scoreless through three quarters, made a second-chance 3-pointer to make it 63-64 with 4:03 left, and Hsieh Min Keng answered 41 seconds later with a steal and a fast-break layup. Gu Seung Chae (구승채) scored inside to bring Yonsei within 65-66 with 1:45 to play, and Chang Chun Huai (張鈞淮) tipped in NCCU's 22nd offensive rebound of the game — an AUBL26 record — with 1:16 remaining. Yonsei did not make another field goal, and Wang Wei Jia (王暐嘉) and Hsu Te Chi (徐得祈) made four free throws to close it out.

Boubacar Mboup (波波卡) scored 9 of his 11 in the 1st quarter as NCCU held Yonsei to 4-of-16 shooting and led 20-12. Jang Hyeok Jun (장혁준) scored 7 in the 2nd to cut it to 34-29 at halftime, and Yonsei went ahead 46-42 in the 3rd, their biggest lead, before NCCU finished the quarter up 51-46.

NCCU's reserves outscored their own starters 46-26, breaking the AUBL26 bench record of 45 set by Tsinghua four days ago. Hsieh Min Keng, Wang Wei Jia and Chang Chun Huai combined for 31 of it.

Gu Seung Chae played all 40 minutes and finished with 14 points. Lee Chae Hyung (이채형) also scored 14, and Park Jun Sung had 11 - all in the 4th quarter. Lee Byung Yup (이병엽) finished with 11 assists and 4 steals, tying the AUBL26 assist record Eiji Shimoyama set two days ago.

LOOKING AHEAD

NCCU advance to the semifinals, where they will face the winner of Waseda and Korea University, who play at 17:00 today. Yonsei drop to the placement games