China led from start to finish in a 100-58 victory over Japan in a 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifier in Shenzhen, China, on Thursday, February 20.
In the Group C clash, China jumped out to an 8-0 lead early in the first quarter and shot the ball consistently throughout the 40-minute game.
Japan slipped to 4-1 in qualifying and China improved to 4-1.
Potent Scoring for China in FIBA Asia Cup Qualifier
Six China players scored in double figures, including center Jinqiu Hu (17 points), guard Rui Zhao (16) and Fanbo Zeng and Jie Xu (13 apiece). The hosts shot 50.7% (36 of 71) from the floor, while Japan struggled to knock down its shots. Japan made 18 of 65 (27.7%), including 7 of 39 from 3-point range.
In Japan's first FIBA Asia Cup qualifier of the year, head coach Tom Hovasse deployed a starting lineup of guards Kazuki Hosokawa (Gunma Crane Thunders) and Ryusei Sasaki (San-en NeoPhoenix), forwards Soichiro Inoue (Koshigaya Alphas) and Hirotaka Yoshii (NeoPhoenix) and center Alex Kirk (Ryukyu Golden Kings).
Several national team standouts who also play in the B.League, including Chiba Jets guard Yuki Togashi, Jets forward Yuta Watanabe and Utsunomiya Brex guard Makoto Hiejima, were not named to the squad.
Japan clinched a spot for this summer's FIBA Asia Cup in November 2024.
Japan Faced a 17-Point Deficit at Halftime
China led 50-33 entering the third quarter at the Shenzhen Sports Center.
Heading into the final period, Japan faced a 69-45 deficit.
In his assessment of the game, Hovasse said China's defensive performance was a key factor.
"China's pressure defense took us out of our offensive rhythm and they did a really good job," Hovasse said. "They were being very physical. We had some younger players that were trying out and, you know, it's tough in this atmosphere in an away game to get some young people in there. And it didn't work out so well and that put us behind a little bit."
China dominated on the boards (a 52-33 advantage in rebounds) and outscored Japan 48-20 in the paint.
What's more, China's energy and speed contributed to the rout. The hosts had 18 fast-break points and held Japan to four.
In the teams' previous FIBA Asia Cup qualifier, Japan edged China 76-73 on February 25, 2024, at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo.
China capitalized on big defensive plays, scoring 18 points off turnovers. In avenging its 2024 loss, China relied on big men Zeng (four blocks) and Qi Zhou (three) to protect the basket and disrupt Japan's shooters.
Top Scorers for Japan
Sasaki, who is averaging 11.7 points and 6.5 assists in 36 games for title-chasing San-en in the 2024-25 B.League season, finished with a team-high 17 points in 21-plus minutes. He was 7-for-7 at the foul line.
Kirk finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Kai Toews, an Alvark Tokyo point guard, came off the bench and scored 10 points. Guard Takuto Nakamura (Hiroshima Dragonflies) was Japan's only other player to make more than one basket (2-for-2 in a four-point effort).
"I'm definitely disappointed that we weren't able to execute offensively and defensively some of the things we practiced," Toews told reporters after the game. "But I'm very confident in our team. We have a young, energetic group and I think we'll be ready for the next game, for sure."
A Look Ahead
Japan is back in action against Mongolia in another FIBA Asia Cup qualifier on Sunday, February 23 in Ulaanbaatar.
Mongolia defeated host Guam 74-63 on Thursday night. Both squads now have 1-4 records in FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.
The FIBA Asia Cup will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from August 5-17. With its win over Japan on Thursday, China clinched a spot in the 16-team tourney.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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