TEHRAN – Iran completed a clean sweep of Group B at the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, shaking off a slow first half to overwhelm Syria 82-43 on Sunday at King Abdullah Sports City and advance directly to the Quarter-Finals.

The three-time Asia Cup champions improved to 3-0, setting up a last-eight meeting with the winners of the Chinese Taipei vs. Jordan clash in the Qualification to Quarter-Finals. Syria, who finished 0-3, bow out of the tournament after another battling but ultimately frustrating night.

Sina Vahedi was once again the steady hand for Iran, producing 19 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. But it was Matin Aghajanpour who delivered the knockout blows, erupting for a game-high 24 points on six triples, including a flurry in the third quarter that broke the contest open.

"Every game is tough," Aghajanpour said post-game. "Syria is a very good team. In the first half we could not play well, but in the second half we heard our coaches, and we did do our job."

For Syria, the loss marked the end of their Asia Cup run, though their first-half performance showed the grit and organization that troubled Iran for long stretches. Deshields’ scoring and defensive activity kept them competitive until the floodgates opened.

Iran, meanwhile, left fans with another reminder of why they are among the region’s elite, capable of weathering adversity, flipping a game in minutes, and riding multiple offensive weapons to decisive wins. With Vahedi in control and Aghajanpour firing from deep, they now turn their attention to the Final Phase with momentum firmly on their side, fiba.basketball reported.

"I think we have a game with the winners of Chinese Taipei and Jordan," Aghajanpour noted. "Both of them are tough teams, but we will just go for the win."