The first semifinal of the afternoon saw Cau Giay face Viet Duc. Viet Duc, despite a strong tradition in school basketball, was also making its debut. After a closely contested first quarter, with the score at 16-13, Cau Giay pulled ahead in the second, leading 34-26.

Tien Minh (number 5, red) shooting a basket in the VnExpress Youth Basketball Tournament semifinal, at Hanoi Children's Palace 2 on 30/11. Photo: VYB

Cau Giay extended its lead in the third quarter, driven by Bui Nam Khanh's exceptional ball-handling and speed. The Cau Giay captain capitalized on fast breaks, scoring and assisting teammates, to establish a 49-36 lead after the third.

Nguyen Dang Hieu of Viet Duc also stood out with his strong drives and penetrations. The number 20 player scored 12 points, often boosting his team's morale. Viet Duc mounted a 7-0 scoring run late in the fourth quarter, but Cau Giay maintained control in the final two minutes, securing a 64-50 victory.

Nam Khanh and his teammates are strong championship contenders, having defeated two tough opponents, Nguyen Trai - Ba Dinh and Viet Duc, in the knock-out rounds. In the final, Cau Giay will play Vinschool The Harmony, who came from behind to beat Nguyen Tat Thanh on 30/11.

The final semifinal was a back-and-forth contest. Nguyen Tat Thanh took an early 14-7 lead, then 22-20 after the first half. The game became tied when Nguyen Luu Tuong Minh drew a foul for points, leveling the score at 37-37 midway through the fourth quarter.

With just over 5 minutes remaining, Vinschool The Harmony still trailed 38-39. However, the team in pink defended effectively for the rest of the game, allowing Nguyen Tat Thanh only one more point. On offense, Vinschool The Harmony capitalized on mid-range shots and free throws, reversing the score to win 47-40.

Son Tung (number 1, red) blocking Bao Lam's shot for Nguyen Tat Thanh, in the VnExpress Youth Basketball Tournament semifinal, at Hanoi Children's Palace 2 on 30/11. Photo: VYB

In the final quarter, Vinschool The Harmony limited their opponent to 3 points. They are the only school with two representatives in the VnExpress Youth Basketball Tournament finals. Earlier that morning, the girls' The Harmony team defeated Smart City in a Vinschool derby, advancing to the final against defending champions Phan Dinh Phung.

The VnExpress Youth Basketball Tournament 2025 - Ziaja Cup Hanoi region finals will take place on 7/12 at Hanoi Children's Palace 2, 17 Pham Hung Street. Alongside focusing on professional quality, organizers will award the team with the largest and most enthusiastic fan base each competition day, with each prize valued at 2 million dong. An organizer representative stated the activity aims to encourage team spirit, create a vibrant atmosphere, and strengthen bonds among schools.

The VnExpress Youth Basketball Tournament 2025 - Ziaja Cup is organized by VnExpress Newspaper and FPT Online Services Joint Stock Company (FPT Online), with professional oversight from the Vietnam Basketball Federation. The tournament is part of the national project "Developing school basketball until 2030."

This year's tournament saw a record high number of registrations, with 80 teams submitting applications within one week of the portal opening. Due to scale limitations, organizers selected the 36 earliest registered teams to compete: 24 boys' teams and 12 girls' teams. The group stage ran from 31/10 to 16/11, with knock-out rounds from 23/11 to 7/12.

Vy Anh