Tsinghua Edges Hakuoh University, Sets Up Final Showdown with NCCU

August 23 — In the second semifinal of the inaugural Asian University Basketball League (AUBL), Tsinghua University took on Hakuoh University. Tsinghua raced to a 13-point first-quarter lead, but Hakuoh clawed back throughout the game and kept it tight until the very end. In the final minute, Tsinghua held firm to secure a 72–67 victory, booking their place in the championship game against National Chengchi University.
Quarter scores: 20–7, 12–21, 18–20, 22–19 (Tsinghua first).

Box Score Standouts

Tsinghua University:

• Shi Kui – 25 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
• Xi Taicheng – 17 points, 11 rebounds

Hakuoh University:

• Yutaro Roy – 14 points
• Ryonari Sato – 13 points, 8 assists, 5 steals
• Haruki Naito – 11 points

Game Recap

Tsinghua reached the semifinals after a dramatic 88–86 overtime win over Konkuk, while Hakuoh advanced by dismantling Peking University 91–71.

• First Quarter: Hakuoh’s Rento Saito scored the opening basket, but Xi Taicheng and Shi Kui quickly answered. With Yang Kaiwen also contributing inside, Tsinghua surged ahead. Both offenses cooled off in the middle of the period, going nearly four minutes without a field goal, until Yang broke the drought with a drive. Cui Yang added a three-point play, and Tsinghua closed the quarter ahead 20–7.
• Second Quarter: Ryonari Sato sparked Hakuoh’s offense while Shi Kui answered with mid-range scoring. Sato’s playmaking and steals helped fuel an 8–2 run, capped by Ryusei Sako assisting Joel on a thunderous dunk. Tsinghua briefly steadied the game with a Shi Kui triple, but Sean Nagashima responded from deep. Joel’s back-to-back buckets kept Hakuoh charging. Shi Kui drew a foul on a three and converted all free throws, but Tsinghua’s offense went cold. Hakuoh cut the margin to just 4 at halftime, 32–28.
• Third Quarter: Liu Qingwen knocked down a jumper, Yang Kaiwen connected from beyond the arc, and Shi Kui added another basket to stretch the lead back to 10. But Hakuoh wouldn’t go away—Roy and Joel led an 8–0 spurt to cut it to 2. Yang’s dunk slowed the momentum, but Roy answered with a three and free throws. Yu Haotian replied with a triple, then both sides went quiet for several minutes. Xu Xitong powered in an and-one, but Hakuoh stayed within striking distance thanks to Naito’s steady shooting. By the end of the third, Tsinghua held a slim 50–48 edge.
• Fourth Quarter: Shi Kui opened the frame with a drive, but Eijiro Ogawa answered for Hakuoh. The teams traded baskets: Xi Taicheng scored inside, Roy responded. Midway through the quarter, Liu Qingwen’s and-one and Xu Xitong’s three-pointer pushed Tsinghua’s lead back up, bringing their bench to its feet. Hakuoh refused to fold—Naito knocked down shots to keep the game alive. With four and a half minutes left, Tsinghua led by 9, but Sako cut into the deficit with a layup. Shi Kui delivered a clutch pull-up three, giving Tsinghua breathing room. In the final 30 seconds, leading by 4, Shi Kui split a pair of free throws. Hakuoh’s last three-point attempt missed, sealing a narrow 72–67 win for Tsinghua.

Starting Lineups

Tsinghua University: Shi Kui, Liu Qingwen, Yang Kaiwen, Xi Taicheng, Oqilo Chovendu
Hakuoh University: Ryunosuke Saeki, Ren Saito, Eijiro Ogawa, Haruki Naito, Joel

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