SEOUL, July 6 (Xinhua) -- China advanced to the second round of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers with a comfortable 92-74 victory over Chinese Taipei in its final Group B match on Monday at Goyang Gymnasium in South Korea.
Bouncing back from last Friday's loss to Japan, China controlled the game from the opening tip, dominating the paint 44-26 and holding Chinese Taipei to just 28 first-half points.
China entered the fourth quarter with a commanding 24-point lead. Although Chinese Taipei attempted a late comeback, with Lin Ting-Chien scoring five straight points on a three-pointer and a pull-up jumper, Li Hongquan responded with a driving layup and a three-pointer to halt the momentum. Chinese Taipei never managed to cut the deficit into single digits, as China secured a convincing 92-74 victory.
China had 11 players on the scoresheet, led by guard Zhao Jiwei, who knocked down five three-pointers to finish with 17 points. Center Hu Jinqiu added 13 points and six rebounds, while guard Pang Zhenglin marked his FIBA debut for the national team with 11 points in 15 minutes after an impressive rookie season in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
For Chinese Taipei, Lin scored a game-high 28 points and had four steals, while fellow guard Chen Ying-Chun contributed 19 points and six assists.
China head coach Guo Shiqiang praised veterans Zhao and Hu for leading the team's younger players to an impressive victory, adding that China did a good job of controlling the tempo and limiting Chinese Taipei's fast-break opportunities.
Commenting on Pang Zhenglin, who sat out the game against Japan before making his senior national team debut in Goyang, Guo described the young guard as an "X factor" for the team.
"He can contribute even more if he improves his decision-making on passes and cuts down on turnovers," Guo said.
China finished Group B with a 3-3 record to secure a place in the second round, while Chinese Taipei's qualification hopes depend on the outcome of the later Group B match between Japan and South Korea.
Looking ahead to the opening window of the second round in late August, Zhao said the team's priority is to regain its confidence and further establish its offensive and defensive systems.
"We need to rebuild our confidence, become more familiar with our offensive and defensive systems, improve our chemistry and execution, and hopefully welcome back more injured players," Zhao said. ■
