POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
Mingzhi Xu
Group A
Bahrain - Hong Kong 85-60
Bahrain claimed the initial victory at the U16 Asia Championship. They overcame Hong Kong in Tehran. Sadiq Hasan scored 22 points and grabbed 21 rebounds to lead the winning team. Bahrain opened the game on an 11:2 run. Hong Kong cut the deficit at 3-point mark at the first break 16:19. Bahrain stayed in front throughout the second quarter. They posted a 41:35 halftime advantage. Bahrain extended the margin in the third period. They secured a comfortable 58:44 lead at the final intermission. Bahrain tipped off the final term on a 16:5 run and cruised to the victory afterwards. Mohamed Ghazwan netted 18 points, while Mohamed Juma had 13 points and 22 boards for Bahrain. Ka Chung On replied with 17 points for Hong Kong. Mo Lung An netted 10 points in the loss.
China - Syria 95-61
China clinched the opening victory at the U16 Asia Championship. They breezed past Syria in Group A clash. Hu Jinqiu scored 22 points to lead the winning side. China erupted for 30 points in the first quarter and built an 18-point lead. China maintained the advantage throughout the second quarter. Moreover they extended the lead to 23 points at halftime 53:30. China stayed aggressive throughout the third term. They nailed 26 points to secure a 79:48 lead heading into the fourth period. Syria could not recover in the final frame and had to surrender at the end. Xu Mingzhi (185-C-97) notched 13 points, while Yuan Zhenliang, Zhao Yanhao and Fu Hao had 12 points each in the victory. Ronaldo Shammas replied with 20 points and 8 rebounds for Syria. Mohamad Hadri had 12 points in the defeat.
Group B
Malaysia - Iran 68-104
Iran celebrated the first win at the U16 Asia Championship. The hosts knocked down Malaysia in the opener. Behrooz Razeghin accounted for 26 points for the winners. The hosts got to a confident start. They poured in 31 points in the opening quarter and opened a 15-point lead. Iran kept Malaysia at bay throughout the second frame. The home team accounted for a 57:40 halftime lead. Iran extended their lead in the third period. They secured a 20-point buffer heading into the fourth stanza 74:54. Iran opened the fourth frame on a 17:4 run and never looked back en route to the victory. Ali Nasiririneh chipped in 22 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, while Soheil Farhadichalabeh netted 19 points in the win. Liang Chuan Yek responded with 19 points for Malaysia. Wei Jie Tan had 16 points in the loss.
South Korea - Thailand 118-65
South Korea claimed the first win at the U16 Asia Championship. They overcame Thailand in Group B. Park Sangkwon scored 19 points and grabbed 8 rebounds to lead the charge. South Korea exploded with 33 points in the first frame and opened an 18-point lead at the first break. They stayed in charge throughout the second quarter. The Korean team ensured a 20-point lead at the interval 52:32. Things got just worse for the Thai team. They struggled to keep up with the tempo and trailed by as many as 38 points 46:84 at the final break. South Korea easily passed 100-point mark and cruised to the victory. Kwon Hyeokjoon netted 18 points, 7 assists and 6 boards, while Sangok Mun added 14 points for the winners. Sittporn Numjan responded with 11 points for Thailand. Attapong Leelaphiphatkul and Suriya Jamkrajang had 10 points apiece in the defeat.
Group C
India - Jordan 97-100 OT
Jordan celebrated the opening win at the U16 FIBA Asia Championship. They prevailed against India in Group C. Khaled Abuaboud scored 21 points and grabbed 9 rebounds to pace the winners. India eked out a 22:20 lead after the opening quarter. India stayed in charge in the second frame. They snatched a 42:36 halftime advantage. The gap grew to double digits in the third term. India enjoyed a 14-point lead midway through the period. But Jordan managed to narrow the gap at 5-point mark at the third break 60:65. India seemed en route to the win leading 79:70 in the middle of the fourth quarter. But Jordan denied the deficit and forced overtime. Jordan dropped 14 points in the extra period and sealed the win at the end. Mohammed Daher finished with 21 points and 9 rebounds, while Zaid Albattikhi chipped in 16 points for the winners. Mahipal Singh answered with 25 points, 6 boards and 5 assists for India. Ashish Briggs accounted for 21 points in the defeat.
Group D
Taiwan - Kazakhstan 109-82
Taiwan clinched the opening victory at the U16 FIBA Asia Championship in Tehran. They rallied past Kazakhstan in the opener. Tu Ssu-Han recorded 26 points and 6 assists to lead the winners. Taiwan fired 29 points in the opening quarter and registered a 9-point lead after ten minutes. Taiwan stayed in charge throughout the second quarter. They claimed a 54:42 halftime advantage. Taiwan opened a 23-point lead heading into the fourth period. Kazakhstan continued to struggle defensively. They conceded 28 points in the fourth frame and surrendered at the end. Sun Yung-Cheng had 16 points and 9 rebounds, while Chun-Ting Chang had 15 points in the victory. Leonid Voronushkin responded with 22 points for Kazakhstan. Zhalgas Kadyr chipped in 13 points in the losing effort.
