CHENZHOU (FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2016) – Petrochimi of Iran hardly had any trouble trouncing Al Rayyan of Qatar, 89-46, to kick of Day 4 action at the FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2016 in Chenzhou, China.

Imports James White and Gerald Robinson once again led the way for dominant Petrochimi, which also drew good games from Mehrad Atashi and Sajjad Mashayekhi, who scored a combined 21 points. The frontline duo of Oshin Sahakian and Mohammad Hassanzadeh also stamped their class, grabbing a total of 21 rebounds. As for Al Rayyan, Hassan Mohamed top-scored with 16 points.

Turning Point: The Iranians never let the Qataris lead in this outing, and the former never let up the pressure, leading by as many as 44 points. Petrochimi were ahead, 25-8, after one quarter, and they didn’t ease off the throttle, cementing their spot at first place in Group A.

Stats Don't Lie: As the final score suggests, this was a very lopsided affair. Petrochimi dominated in nearly all aspects, outrebounding Al Rayyan, 60-30, and outscoring them in the paint, 36-16. The Iranians also had much more assists compared to the Qataris, 17-4.

Game Heroes: Gerald Robinson led Petrochimi with 17 points, but it was James White who played more efficiently, scoring 16 points and hauling down 5 rebounds on top of 2 assists and 3 triples. White and Robinson may not have scored as heavily as other imports, but they have been consistently productive, which is really what matters most.

The Bottom Line: At 1 win and 3 losses, Al Rayyan are virtually certain to make the next round despite losing to Petrochimi today. They are also almost sure to finish as the fourth seed in Group A. As for the Iranian club, Petrochimi are now 3-0 heading into their critical clash with Lebanese powerhouse Al Riyadi tomorrow. They needed this win to gain even more momentum as they surely want to end their group play on a very strong note.

FIBA