Jeddah: Taiwan opened its FIBA Asia Cup campaign in Saudi Arabia with a 95-87 win over the Philippines on Wednesday, powered by a 34-point performance from star guard Chen Ying-chun.

According to Focus Taiwan, the result was critical for Taiwan’s chances of advancing to the tournament’s quarterfinals from its challenging preliminary round Group B, which also includes New Zealand and Iraq. A first-place finish in the group would secure Taiwan a direct spot in the quarterfinals.

Taiwan took control of the game early, establishing an 11-point lead after the first quarter. The team maintained its advantage throughout, despite a fourth-quarter comeback attempt by the Philippines that narrowed the lead to 80-74. Chen Ying-chun responded with a decisive step-back jumper from behind the arc with 4:17 remaining, extending Taiwan’s lead.

Just moments before Chen’s pivotal 3-pointer, the Philippines’ top scorer, Justin Brownlee, fouled out. His absence, coupled with Chen’s shot, ended the Philippines’ momentum. Chen led all scorers with 34 points, including six three-pointers. Additionally, Brandon Gilbeck contributed 16 points and 9 rebounds, while Lin Ting-chien and Robert Hinton each added 14 points for Taiwan.

After the game, head coach Gianluca Tucci commended the team’s performance and Chen’s leadership. Tucci stated, “He was outstanding, and the team gave him the space to perform. Even though we missed 21 offensive rebounds, we never stopped fighting.”

However, the post-game press conference faced controversy when the host mistakenly referred to Taiwan as “China Taipei” instead of “Chinese Taipei,” and misidentified several coaches and players. In response, the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association announced it will file a formal protest, calling for stricter oversight to prevent future incidents.