China lose to Canada 109-79 in FIBA Tokyo Olympic qualification game

Zhou Qi (#15) of China grabs a rebound in the FIBA Tokyo Olympic qualification tournament game against Canada in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, June 30, 2021. /CFP

China lost to Canada 109-79 in their first game of the FIBA Tokyo Olympic qualification tournament in Victoria, Canada, on Wednesday.

China sent a young squad to the tournament without Yi Jianlian, Guo Ailun or Wang Zhelin. Zhou Qi, Zhou Peng and Zhao Jiwei on the roster have the most experience playing for the national team and share the leadership of the squad.

The Canadian side has eight NBA players, led by R.J. Barrett of the New York Knicks and Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors, enough to make a full NBA roster.

China's shooters could not find their touch from beyond the arc as they went 1-9 in triples in the first quarter. Though Zhao Jiwei and Zhou Qi completed several nice plays inside, Canada went 5-12 from the 3-point line to lead 27-19 in Q1.

Zhou Peng (#10) of China penetrates in the FIBA Tokyo Olympic qualification tournament game against Canada in Victoria, June 30, 2021. /CFP

Canada once extended their lead to 20 points in Q2 after Dwight Powell rattled the rim. Fortunately for China, Zhou Peng, Hu Mingxuan, Xu Jie and Zhao Jiwei all made shots from downtown in this quarter, cutting the deficit to 13 (59-46) before the first half ended.

Hu Mingxuan exploded in Q3 to drain three triples and score 11 points for China, but Canada continued to score in transition offense, exploiting China's missed shots and turnovers. China's resistance fell apart in the last quarter as most players grew exhausted. Canada pocketed their second straight win in the tournament with a 30-14 run in Q4.

China will challenge Greece, which lost to Canada earlier, on Thursday. The winning side will enter the next stage with Canada.