JINAN, China (2nd FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Women): Not that there was any doubt about China’s superiority as they headed into their final Level I game against Chinese Taipei on Thursday. Even if there was any, Wang Guizhi’s girls put them to rest with an early blitz, when they stepped on the gas midway through the first quarter.

But what marked China’s 105-91 win further was their ability to hold their heads together and maintain their focus with amazing maturity without getting carried away to push for an enormous difference on the scoreboard.

Hu Yueming (pic above) did the maximum damage on the scoring for China and on Taipei’s morale with powerful inside play. The 180-cm Liaoning player scored 14 – out of her game-high 22 points – in the first quarter which China closed with a 19-6 run.

There was no change in the direction of command after that.

“We didn’t want to take any chances,” China coach Wang Guizhi said of the early avalanche.

Yang Liwei had another field day in office marshalling the hosts’ resources with customary craftiness and finished with a dozen points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and even one block.

China are yet waiting to know their semifinal rivals, but Wang was none too bothered.

“Either team – Korea or Japan – will be as difficult. What we need to focus more on is our own gameplans. We are committing some unnecessary mistakes, which we have to cut down,” she said referring to the 19 turnovers China handed in the game.

Lee Ching-ya and Han Ya-en each had 20 points to pace Chinese Taipei, both catching the eye with some quick conversions even when pitted against much taller guards.

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