S. Korea beats Japan for men's basketball gold

South Korea emerged victorious against Japan, winning the men's basketball gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with a score of 67-57 on Sunday. The decisive third quarter at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya saw forward Lee Hyun-jung score 13 of his impressive 27 points. Lee, formerly a Davidson player, also led the team with 18 rebounds.

This victory marked an end to South Korea's 12-year gold medal drought in men's basketball. Earlier in the group stage, South Korea had won a closely contested game against Japan 100-83. However, the second match was a low-scoring affair, with Japan shooting only 28 percent from the field in the first half, compared to South Korea's slightly better 33 percent over the first 20 minutes.

South Korea took an 11-5 lead with 6:23 left in the first quarter but struggled to maintain it afterward. Both teams missed several easy scoring opportunities, with South Korea in particular rushing plays on offense. Japan took an early 19-12 lead in the next quarter, but South Korean shooters ultimately found success.