Lee Hyun-jung and Yeo Jun-seok Combine for 43 as South Korea Keep World Cup Hopes Alive with Saudi Win

South Korea’s men’s basketball team revived its hopes of reaching the 2027 FIBA World Cup with an 85-72 victory over Saudi Arabia in Suwon.

The win came three days after South Korea lost to Lebanon and dropped to the bottom of Group F. Its record improved to 4-4, moving the team from sixth to third place and sending Saudi Arabia, now 3-5, to last.

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I am happy about the victory, but I saw many tasks that we need to work through. Our offense was sometimes too predictable, and our one-on-one defense is still lacking.

South Korea attacked aggressively from the opening minutes and used man-to-man defense to offset Saudi Arabia’s height advantage. Lee Hyun-jung led the way with 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Yeo Jun-seok added 18 points, four rebounds and three assists, including a third-quarter drive toward the basket followed by an attempted dunk.

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Compared with other games, the players showed better passion, energy and concentration. They kept fighting in every matchup.

The second qualifying round features 12 teams split into two groups. The top three teams in each group, plus the strongest fourth-place team, will qualify for the World Cup. Results from the first round carry over.

Lee welcomed the win but said the team still had work to do, citing a predictable offense and shortcomings in one-on-one defense. Coach Nikolaos Maroulis recorded his second win since taking charge and praised the players’ energy and concentration. South Korea will play two exhibition games against the Philippines on Sept. 4 and 6 in Suwon before competing at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

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Hope of reaching the World Cup is still alive, and we are fighting hard. We will prepare well for the next game.