CHENZHOU (FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2016) – The Iranians started off their campaign with a convincing win over Pauian, 100-80, on Day 1 of the FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2016.

James White and Gerald Robinson, Jr. led the way for Petrochimi, pairing up for 56 points. National team members Mohammad Hassanzadeh and Oshin Sahakian also did well with 10 points each. Pauian was paced by Quincy Davis, who tallied 22 points.

Turning Point: This was a tight game till Petrochimi stamped their class in the third quarter, outscoring Pauian, 27-18. That turned a 6-point halftime lead into a 15-point bubble for the Iranians entering the final frame. It was all cruise control from that point on as Petrochimi notched win #1.

Stats Don't Lie: Iran were the much more aggressive team, and it showed in terms of rebounding and turnovers. The Iranians outrebounded their Taipei foes, 44-31, and they forced Pauian to commit 17 turnovers. Elliot Tan committed 5 of those errors for Pauian.

Game Hero: American import James White dominated for Petrochimi in this game. He scored 28 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, had 4 assists and shot 4 triples to pace the Iranian side. He’s going to be a marked man heading into the team’s next games, for sure.

The Bottom Line: Petrochimi is looking to give Iran their sixth Champions Cup crown, and they started off on the right foot with this win over Pauian, who need to improve in the next few days if they harbor any dreams of advancing to the Quarter-Finals. They take on the dangerous Indians of ONGC tomorrow, while the Taipei five try to bounce back against Qatar’s Al Rayyan.

FIBA