JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) – Guam seized control early and never truly let go, defeating Syria 82-73 in Group B action at the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 on Friday at the King Abdullah Sports City.
Tai Wesley turned in a near triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, while Jericho Cruz also netted 21 points on 5 triples. Earnest Ross Jr. added 17 points and 8 assists as Guam (1-1) bounced back from their opening defeat and kept their qualification hopes alive.
Syria (0-2) were once again paced by the prolific Keron Deshields, who tallied 29 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in another do-it-all performance, but could not drag his side across the finish line.
The game began at a blistering pace with both teams trading early runs. Guam struck first with a 5-0 burst from Ross and Cruz, but Syria answered through Christian Maran and Deshields to take a 12-10 edge midway through the quarter. From there, Ross and Deshields went shot-for-shot, before Tai Wesley poured in 7 straight points to hand Guam a 27-21 lead after one.
Syria started the second frame with renewed energy, pulling to within three at 29-26, only for Takumi Simon to push Guam’s lead back to eight. Deshields responded with a personal scoring spree that put Syria ahead 38-36 in the middle of the period, yet the Pacific islanders closed stronger. A 7-0 stretch led by Simon restored Guam’s cushion, 43-40, at halftime.
Cruz came out firing to open the third, stretching the lead to double digits at 55-45. While Syria rallied behind Omar Idelbi to close the gap to 63-59, Guam held firm, entering the final stanza ahead 64-59.
The fourth quarter saw Syria trim the margin to just four points on a Hani Adribi dunk, but Guam’s composure shone through. Wesley’s inside presence and Simon’s mid-range game steadied the ship before Cruz delivered the decisive blows. The veteran guard nailed three triples in the final minutes — two of them back-to-back — to rebuild a comfortable double-digit gap and keep Syria at bay.
Despite late baskets from Deshields, Guam’s ball movement and shot-making in the clutch ensured there would be no collapse. Guam finished with four players in double-figures, a testament to their balanced attack.
With the win, Guam improve to 1-1 and will next face Japan in a pivotal matchup, while Syria fall to 0-2 and will try to avoid elimination when they take on Iran.
FIBA