China celebrated its first win at the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup on Saturday, defeating Jordan 97-78 in a classification game in Lausanne, Switzerland. This victory snapped a five-game losing streak for the Chinese team at the tournament.
With starting point guard Zhu Zheng sidelined due to injury, Yang Yi stepped into the role and delivered an exceptional performance. While Yang didn’t score from the field, missing all five of his attempts, he showcased his playmaking skills by dishing out a record-breaking 17 assists. His efforts not only involved every teammate in the offense but also set a new single-game assist record at the World Cup.
Thanks to Yang’s orchestration, China led the game through the first three quarters, establishing an 81-54 advantage. Despite a late rally from Jordan in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit by eight points, China maintained control to secure the win.
Offensively, China had a well-balanced attack with four players scoring in double figures. Zhang Boyuan led the way with 22 points off the bench, followed by Huan Sinan who contributed 16 points and five blocks. Chen Jiazheng and Cui Xinquan added 17 and 14 points respectively.
China is set to face Cameroon on Sunday in a game that will determine their final ranking in the tournament.
