China def Philippines, 84-67 [FIBA U16 Asian Championship | Sep. 18, 2023]

China engaged with the Philippines in a game that was as intense as advertised with the former coming out ahead, 84-67.

The Philippines started the game on a high note, making 6 of their first 9 three-pointers – including 4 straight at one point. This gave the Philippines momentum early on as it nullified the height advantage China had over them.

However, that size difference would later have an impact as China kept turning to their big men. China had 17 second-chance points, a product of getting 15 offensive rebounds.

The Philippines shot only 5-20 from downtown the rest of the way, and even though China made only 30.4 percent of their three-pointers, the shot well over 50 percent from inside the arc.

China took the lead coming out of a tied halftime break and never trailed again, building up the cushion to as much as 18 points.

Boyuan Zhang led China in scoring with 17 points while Philippines’ Kiefer Alas led all players with 20 to go with 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

Standout player: Wenhao Fu was the standout player for China in this game, finishing with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Even though he didn’t lead the team in scoring, Fu made 3 three-pointers which many came in important runs for his team.