AHMEDABAD (India) - China booked a fourth consecutive Semi-Finals trip in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2026 after keeping their mastery of the Philippines, 117-103, on Friday at the Veer Savarkar Indoor Stadium.
Winners of bronze in the last three editions, the traditional contenders shook off some cobwebs early before finishing the opening period with a 33-20 lead, and they'd be in full control the rest of the ball game.
Team Dragon would lead by as many as 24 and provided apt responses to their Southeast Asian rivals' rally attempt in the fourth to secure the W - and become the first to reach the 'Final Four' tomorrow.
Not only that, the Chinese have also clinched the first of four tickets to the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2027 in Pardubice, Czechia, earning themselves a third straight trip to the prestigious youth spectacle.
Wang Zichao led China with 25 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. Chen Yuxiu finished with 23 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists off the bench as the tandem combined for 10 of the team's 17 triples in the victory.
Zhang Yizhaojie and Xuan Hao delivered 16 points apiece and hauled down 17 of their 48 rebounds -15 more than what the opposition had - as a collective in the win that saw the crew shoot 53.6-percent from the field.
China will now wait for the winner between Japan and New Zealand for their Semi-Finals foe.
Leading the Philippines, on the other hand, was Chog Moral with a game-high 26 points.
Luke Atacador made 14 points. JB Cagurungan and Ethan Aguas supplied 12 points each, while Aidan Dayco-Green - who starred in their win over Syria in the play-in yesterday - added 11 points and 5 rebounds.
Dayco-Green and Pat Pasinos actually led their side to a 5-1 start into the ball game but it proved to be their only time in the lead, as China slowly got their bearings back behind the trio of Hao, Wang, and Zhang.
Not long after, the 11-time champions were already leading, 20-9.
FIBA