Thailand's first win and Korea's third as China down Japan

MEDAN (2015 FIBA Asia U16 Women's Championship) – Defending champions China maintained their unbeaten status in the competition with a powerful 61-47 win over last edition's runners-up Japan while as Korea overpowered Chinese Taipei 95-42 in a repeat result of the third place play-off from two years ago and Thailand outplayed India 98-50 on Wednesday.

China's victory which fetched them their fourth win in as many days puts Li Jian Xing's team in a vanguard position to take the top seed as the semi-final line-up takes shape.

After an equally fought first two-and-half quarters of the game, China pulled away midway through the third period.

Yueru Li, who went on to finish with 26 points and 22 rebounds – both obvious game-highs.

The 192-cm center had six of those points and three of those boards during a scorching 11-0 run that China unleashed to close the third period, which tilted the scales in their favor.

Jiaqi Wang, who had kept China steady early in the game had 10 of her 11 points in the first half.

Haruna Kasagi's 16 points led Japan, but 14 of those came in the first half.

Unlike in their previous games, all of which they had lost, Thailand began rather cautiously against India and even trailed 11-12 at the end of the first quarter.

Thailand, having played the wait-and-watch game made their move in the early moments of the second period.

Thai spearhead Thunchanok Lumdappang converted a lay-up and put her team ahead for the first time in the game, triggering off a 9-1 run that took the winds off India's sails.

Lumdappang combined with Rattiyakom Odomsuk scoring 12 of Thailand's points in the second period, which ended with the SEABA team leading by a mammoth 44-24.

There was very little interest beyond an academic perspective after that.

Odomsuk missed a double-double by two rebounds while finishing with a game-high 28 points and Lumdappang pulled down 15 rebounds to go with her 18 points.

Sushantika Chakravortty's 17 points paced India.

Korea scored the first five points of the game and then closed the first period with a searing 18-0 run and didn't have much to worry after that.

Sohee Lee whose scorching three-pointer opened the scoring for the game, went on to finish with 17 points and Yesol Lim who accounted for eight of Korea's points in that first quarter run had 11 points.

Hyunji Park returned a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds along with 4 assists, 3 steals and a block.

In Level II, Malaysia first pulled off a buzzer-beater to force an Overtime and then scored the first nine points of the extended period to beat Kazakhstan 87-80 and Singapore proved far too adept to beat Uzbekistan 60-39.

The final  game of the day so host Indonesia's run come to an abrupt end following a 54-47 defeat at the hands of Hong Kong.

FIBA