BANGKOK, Thailand (FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women 2016) – Reigning Champions China ended group play with a dominant win over rivals Chinese Taipei, 93-48.

It was yet a dominant display by the reigning champions, who won all of their five group games in a convincing fashion.

Turning point: China took the scoring initiative right from the beginning, scoring the first six baskets of the game as they mounted a commanding 27-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. A lead that they would never relinquish.

Stats don’t lie: China dominated nearly every facet of this game, outplaying their foes on both ends of the court. They won the battle of the boards (52-29) and assists (18-8). All but one player failed to get her name on the score sheet.

Game hero: 20 points and 15 rebounds, including 7 offensive rebounds, by Li Yueru were enough for her to earn the game’s “hero” accolade. The towering center was too big and strong for Chinese Taipei’s defense to handle.

The bottom line: Both teams will clash once again in two days’ time in the semi-finals. China are expected to prevail in that encounter and advance to the final to meet either Korea or Japan.

FIBA