China cruise past Singapore in opener
CHANGSHA-HUNAN (2015 FIBA Asia Championship) - China rolled to a 91-42 victory over Singapore on the opening day of the FIBA Asia Championship in front of their own fans.
Looking to bounce back from a disappointing tournament in the Philippines two years ago when they lost to Chinese Taipei in the Quarter-Finals, the Chinese poured in 26 of the game's first 30 points in a run that spanned nearly the entire first quarter and put the result beyond doubt.
In the first half, as China built an insurmountable 48-19 lead, they used their superior size to out-rebound Singapore, 23-12.
Gong Luming's side also got 19 points off the bench before half-time while their opponents had none.
Turning Point: Leading 4-2 early, Qi Zhou, China's 19-year-old center, hit a pair of free-throws and then a long jump shot to trigger a big run for the Far East giants that Singapore never recovered from.
Stats Don't Lie: China dominated on the boards, grabbing 46 rebounds to just 23 for Singapore and also shot 59% (23 of 39) while also showing a nice touch from the arc, hitting 40 percent (eight of 20). Singapore struggled offensively, making just 17 of 58 (29.3 percent) shots from the field.
Game Hero: No single player stood out in this comprehensive victory, but rather the team play did. By the end of the contest, Xiaochuan Zhi led five players in double figures with 13 points.
The Bottom Line: China will face much tougher opponents in this competition, so it makes no sense to read too much into the result but all a team can do is beat the side that is in front of them and the Chinese did that in convincing fashion. Their best known player, Yi Jianlian, played less than 18 minutes and still had 12 points and eight rebounds.
FIBA