GOYANG (Korea) - Chinese Taipei's FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 dream remains alive.
Behind a dominant performance from Brandon Gilbeck and clutch baskets from Benson Lin and Riven Ma down the stretch, Chinese Taipei rallied from a major double-digit deficit to defeat Korea, 82-80, in overtime on Friday at the Goyang Gymnasium.
The win completed a stunning First Round sweep of their Group B rivals and breathing new life into their bid to reach the Second Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
Chinese Taipei now have a 2-3 win-loss record in Group B, level with Korea and setting up a dramatic final game day with teams still firmly in the hunt for one of the group's three Second Round berths.
Gilbeck dominates
Chinese Taipei came out with purpose, repeatedly attacking the paint through Gilbeck and finding success in transition.
The big man was nearly unstoppable, finishing with 26 points, 18 rebounds and 5 blocks. Whenever Korea threatened to make a run, Gilbeck seemed to have an answer, controlling the glass and anchoring the defense.
Chen Ying-Chun also added 18 points and 5 assists, while Ma chipped in with 10 points, including the biggest basket of the night. For his part, Lin finished with 13 points, though he shot just 6-of-20 from the field. His three-point shot with 8 seconds left, however, saved Chinese Taipei in regulation and sent the game into overtime.
Korea, meanwhile, struggled to find offensive rhythm late. Despite having five players score in double-figures, the hosts shot just 7-of-32 from beyond the arc. Korea erected a 19-point lead in the third period, but they witnessed the visiting team slowly chip away for the rest of regulation and into overtime.
Chinese Taipei storm back
Behind by 16 entering the fourth period, Chinese Taipei opened the final frame with a blistering 14-2 run. Sparked by Chen's aggressive play and Gilbeck's dominance inside, the visitors turned a 65-49 deficit into a 70-69 lead with 1:27 to go. The teams exchanged baskets till a three-pointer from Lee Junghyun gave Korea a 75-72 lead with 20 seconds remaining.
But Chinese Taipei refused to fold.
With the clock winding down, Benson Lin stepped into a huge three-pointer off an offensive rebound from Bachir Gadiaga to tie the game at 75-all with 8 seconds left. The hosts had one final opportunity in regulation, but Yu Kisang's own triple attempt at the buzzer would not fall, sending the contest into overtime.
Finishing the job
The extra session was every bit as tense as the fourth quarter.
Gilbeck had an emphatic alley-oop dunk after Yeo Jun Seok opened scoring with a pair of free throws. Yeo then scored a basket in transition to give Korea renewed hope. Neither team could create separation. Chinese Taipei regained the lead at 79-78 when Benson Lin floated in a jumper with 2:43 remaining, but Korea once again responded. Junghyun calmly sank two free throws to knot the game to give Korea their final taste of the lead, 80-79 with 1:30 left.
Then came the decisive sequence. After forcing a Junghyun Lee turnover with just under a minute to play, Chinese Taipei pushed the ball ahead to Riven Ma, who made the go-ahead layup for an 81-80 lead with 57 seconds remaining.
Korea had a chance to answer but came up empty. Gilbeck then grabbed a defensive rebound and was fouled with 20 seconds left. The big man split his free throws to extend the lead to two, and one final Korean scramble ended with Gilbeck swatting away Junghyun's layup attempt before Jang Jaeseok's last-second three also missed the mark.
As the final buzzer sounded, Chinese Taipei could finally celebrate a hard-earned victory and an improbable season sweep of Korea.
Down to the wire
Chinese Taipei's victory completed an unlikely sweep after their earlier victory in New Taipei City. More importantly, it turned the Group B standings upside down.
Both Chinese Taipei and Korea now hold identical win-loss records and remain mathematically alive for the Second Round, ensuring that qualification from one of the Asian Qualifiers' most competitive groups will not be decided until the final game day.
One thing is clear from this result - nobody in Group B is ready to go home just yet.
FIBA