Diphenylborinic acid serves as a cocatalyst for site- and stereoselective C-H alkylation reactions of carbohydrates under photoredox conditions using quinuclidine as the hydrogen atom transfer mediator. Products arising from selective abstraction of the equatorial hydrogens of cis-1,2-diol moieties, followed by C-C bond formation with net retention of configuration, are obtained. Computational modeling supports a mechanism involving formation of a tetracoordinate borinic ester, which accelerates hydrogen atom transfer with the quinuclidine-derived radical cation through polarity-matching and/or ion-pairing effects.