TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei’s Songshan High School staged a dramatic last-minute comeback against Hsinchu’s Kuangfu High School, winning 64-62 in the High School Basketball League (HBL) semifinals behind a game-high 24 points from Jayden Jones (查傑).
The victory sets up a championship showdown between Songshan and New Taipei’s Nanshan High School on Sunday at Taipei Arena. It marks Songshan’s first championship appearance since 2017, per CNA.
The road to the finals was not easy. During grueling group play, Songshan had to rally to secure the final spot in the HBL final four. Coming into the semifinals, the team was considered a heavy underdog against Kuangfu, the two-time defending champion (2022, 2023).
Trailing by six points in the final minute, Songshan refused to give up. A strong defensive effort and clutch free-throw shooting secured the victory.
The win also marked the first at Taipei Arena for Songshan’s new coach, Yeh Wei-ciao (葉韋喬).
Speaking to the media after the game, Yeh said he told his players to keep fighting. "I am happy they listened and reminded each other on the court not to give up. I am proud of them."
Jones led all scorers with 24 points, while teammate Liu Cheng-en (劉程恩) contributed 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and five steals in a standout performance.
Jones faced early foul trouble, picking up four fouls, though he later said it did not impact his play. Despite falling behind late in the game, he said he never lost hope. "I did not want to cry like the past two years and then have to play in the consolation round. Even if I had to play on one leg, I would do it until the last minute. I am very happy that I can finally get to tomorrow’s championship game after three years in high school."
Kuangfu coach Chen Ding-jie (陳定杰) was asked why he did not call a timeout in the final minute when his team trailed. He said he wanted to prevent Songshan from resetting its defense.
Chen added that the final play was designed for Chuang Li-an (莊立安) to take the last shot. "It's a pity that he didn't score. I think this is life; if you want to become a better player, you can grow from this type of game."
