AMMAN (Jordan) - Zhang Boyuan set the tone early as China rolled past Kazakhstan, 86-50, for a triumphant FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024 debut on Monday.
Turning the Prince Hamza Hall into his own backyard, the 2.04 M (6'8") forward fired 17 points in just the opening quarter alone, leading his side to a commanding 36-12 lead as they made it a one-sided affair all the way to the final buzzer.
Zhang got into rhythm after his first attempt from the field, which he launched from beyond the arc, went in. That shot would also trigger a scorching-hot run from the squad toward an 18-5 lead approaching the midway mark of the first.
Zhang would go on to finish with 22 points on a 4-of-5 clip from deep. Overall, he shot 7-of-9 from the floor and also had a pair of rebounds plus a steal in 12 minutes.
Wang Hongze was the only other double-digit scorer for China with 13 points and 6 rebounds although all but one scored at least 2 in the win, thanks to their 22 assists.
Aibolat Omarov, on the other hand, was the lone bright spot for Kazakhstan with 10 points and 7 rebounds in a tough opener for the CABA Qualifiers winners.
Joining the Chinese as the early winners in Group C are their fellow traditional powerhouse in Japan, who beat Qatar by way of a 73-55 result.
Leon Watanabe registered 19 points and 14 rebounds for an efficiency of 29, while Takuma Wada fired 5 triples for 17 points as the tandem formed a 1-2 punch to power an overwhelming 23-3 third-quarter rally that broke the game wide open.
The AKATSUKI JAPAN only led by a solitary point after the game's first 20 minutes, but the halftime break seemingly enabled the squad to find their groove as they soon unloaded the said run on their way to a 53-32 lead with 3:16 on the clock.
It would be all Japan since in anticlimactic finish to a match that appeared to go down the wire when Qatar forced a see-saw battle in the first half and even led at times.
Ota Fukusawa added 10 points for the Japanese, who shot 41-percent from the floor thanks to the way they shared the ball as evidenced by their 20 assists.
Wasted by the loss, meanwhile, were the 28 points of Yassin Mousa for Qatar in a performance that also saw him collect 7 rebounds and 3 assists.
Mohamed Ndao was his lone back-up in the defeat with a near-double-double of 18 points and 9 rebounds, which he laced with 3 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks.
FIBA