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Taiwan thunders past HK and China to reach semis

Taiwan's Cheng Chang-chun leaves China's Huang Lu behind during their Asian University Men's Basketball Championship game on Thursday. PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Winning convincingly against China and Hong Kong on Thursday and Friday respectively, Team Taiwan finished the preliminary rounds with a strong 3-1 to qualify for the semi-finals in the inaugural Asian University Men's Basketball Championship.

After dropping the tournament opener to South Korea in a disheartening 87-80 decision on Monday, the hosts vented their frustration in a 90-55 blowout win over Mongolia on Tuesday before cruising past the Chinese and Hong Kong in games that were both over well before the halftime intermission.

Thursday night's 114-87 trouncing of China at the Taipei Physical Education College Gymnasium in Taipei was not the close match that everyone had expected as Taiwan jumped to a quick 33-16 lead after the first quarter behind 10 points inside the paint by big man Chien Jia-hong (YMY) before settling for a 54-38 score at halftime.

The Taiwanese shot an incredible 17-for-21 from within the two-point range (81 percent) to neutralize China's height advantage (196cm vs. 190cm in average team height).

Hong Kong players fail to block Taiwan's Wang Chien-wei during their Asian University Men's Basketball Championship game on Friday. PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES

Carrying its first-half success into the second half, Taiwan poured in 34 third-quarter points against China's 24 to build a lead as large as 26 points before a meaningless final quarter that was played mostly by the reserves from both teams.

Five different players for Taiwan finished the game with double-digit scoring, led by power forward Lu Cheng-rue's (Yulon Dinos) team-high 20 points.

"I am glad to see that we are finally playing together as a team," coach Chen Chung-cheng said after the game.

"We definitely came into the game more prepared than before, and we were able to do a few things to attack their [China's] weaknesses," Chen added.

As for China, the bulk of the scoring came from center Li Zhengyang and guard Wang Sheng, who rang up 23 and 22 points respectively to lead a squad that seemed a notch below their counterparts in every aspect of the game.

Taiwan 97, Hong Kong 71

Lu continued his red-hot shooting in Friday night's contest for the Taiwanese with four three-pointers on a 19-point effort to give the home team a 97-71 win over the all-stars from Hong Kong.

"I am glad to see that we are finally playing together as a team. ... We definitely came into the game more prepared than before."

Chen Chung-cheng, Team Taiwan coach

Twenty-two combined points by point guard Su Yi-jeh (Dacin Tigers) and forward Lin Yi-hui (Dacin Tigers) helped Taiwan to a 34-22 advantage after the opening quarter, a lead it would add to by seven to round out the first half leading 60-41.

With the difference in their level of play apparent, the two teams played the second half with slightly less intensity compared to the first, finishing out the game quietly in the eventual lopsided blowout.

The 3-1 record in the preliminaries placed Taiwan second in the standings behind an undefeated South Korea (4-0), with China (2-2) and Hong Kong (1-3) to follow. Mongolia was the odd team out in the five-team tournament, losing all four of its matches in the preliminaries.

Other Results

* South Korea 111, Mongolia 70 (Thursday)

* China 98, Mongolia 70 (Friday)
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