TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Defending champions Songshan High School advanced to the High School Basketball League Final Four on Wednesday after defeating Nanshan High School 92-65 in a qualifier.

Facing pressure to defend their title, Songshan struggled early in the national tournament, dropping consecutive games to top-ranked Nengren High School and Nanhu High School, per CNA.

In Wednesday’s do-or-die matchup, co-captain Pan Yan-ming (潘彥銘) led the effort with 11 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Five Songshan players scored in double figures as the team built an early lead and never looked back.

The victory also brought relief to co-captain Liu Ting-kuan (劉庭冠), who broke two teeth and sprained his ankle during Tuesday’s game. Despite the injuries, Liu contributed 14 points and seven assists on Wednesday to help secure the semifinal berth.

Liu said he felt dizzy after injuring his teeth and ankle in the previous game and became emotional following that loss. “Fortunately, we advanced in the end, so breaking those two teeth was worth it,” he said.

A key player in last year’s championship run, Liu acknowledged the pressure of defending the title, saying he often could not fall asleep until 3 a.m. during the quarterfinal round.

Head coach Yeh Wei-chiao (葉韋喬) said he was informed of the team’s Final Four qualification only after Wednesday’s game concluded. He described the matchup against Nanshan as a “win or go home” situation, noting Thursday marked the final day of qualifiers.

Yeh said Tuesday’s loss to Nanhu was not necessarily negative, adding it served as a reminder to players of the urgency required to earn a return trip to Taipei Arena for the semifinals.