DAKAR, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- China advanced to the women's 3x3 basketball semifinals at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) with a 21-14 victory over the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals on Sunday.
Sun Hanyun, Gu Manjie and Zhu Zihan started for China, which had topped Group A with a 21-4 victory over Fiji and a 20-15 win against Kenya.
Less than a minute after tip-off, China surged to an early 5-0 lead through a combination of strong drives to the basket and sharp perimeter shooting. Maintaining its intensity, the Chinese team extended the advantage to nine points at 15-6.
The Czech team staged a late rally to cut the deficit to five points, but China quickly regrouped and held on for a 21-14 victory.
Sun told Xinhua that the Chinese players had adopted a strategy of "conceding one-point shots but denying two-pointers" to prevent their opponents from closing the gap quickly.
"Our energy dipped for a spell in the middle of the game, allowing them to score several one-point baskets in a row. But we adjusted in time and eventually got the win," she said.
In another quarterfinal, hosts Senegal edged Chile 13-11 to set up a semifinal clash with China on Monday. ■
