JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) – Iran used a dominant first half and a strong fourth-quarter finish to take down Guam, 77-52, in their FIBA Asia Cup 2025 opener on Wednesday.
Matin Aghajanpour caught fire from long range, draining 6 triples en route to a game-high 19 points, while veteran big man Arsalan Kazemi turned in a classic all-around performance with 10 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.
Guam, making their first-ever appearance at the FIBA Asia Cup, showed fight in spurts and rallied late in the third quarter to cut what was once a 21-point halftime deficit down to 11, 52-41, entering the final frame. Iran’s experience and firepower, however, were too much in the end.
Aghajanpour and Sina Vahedi connected from deep early in the fourth to restore a 17-point lead, and Iran never looked back. Vahedi also finished in double figures with 15 points, while Mohammad Amini chipped in 11.
It was a slow start for both squads, tied at 5 midway through the opening quarter, before Iran closed on a 13-2 run powered by offensive rebounds and transition scoring. The Iranians stretched their lead to 21 in the second period behind the interior presence of Kazemi and timely shooting from the backcourt.
Guam’s most consistent threat was Tai Wesley, who posted 18 points and 9 boards in a strong outing. Jericho Cruz added 11 points, including a brief scoring burst in the third.
The result sends Iran (1-0) to the top of Group B ahead of their marquee clash with Japan, who also won earlier in the day. Meanwhile, Guam (0-1) will aim to bounce back against Syria. For the Iranians, the win marks another step in their mission to reassert themselves among Asia’s elite. For Guam, the learning curve begins, but so does the journey.
FIBA