Bahrain hit a wall in Chinese Taipei
For six games, Bahrain rode a wave of momentum, dispatching every opponent in their path with an ease that belied their 47-year absence from the William Jones Cup. But yesterday night in New Taipei City, the home team had other plans.
Chinese Taipei delivered a masterclass in execution, ending Bahrain's unbeaten run with a resounding 93–50 win — a statement performance that showed exactly why they were considered Bahrain's toughest challenge heading into the tournament.
Early Blitz Breaks the Game Open
From the opening tip, Taipei were locked in. They raced out to a 31–18 first-quarter lead, then tightened the screws with a 29– 12 second quarter. By halftime, it was 60–30, and Bahrain never got close again.
Where Chinese Taipei moved the ball crisply and shot with confidence, Bahrain were static, hesitant, and out of sync.
Shooting Slump Sinks Bahrain
Chinese Taipei shot a red-hot 45.9% from three (17 made), while Bahrain managed just 31.3% from the field and 9-of-38 from deep. The usually reliable outside shooting that had powered Bahrain's earlier wins disappeared under pressure.
Turnovers (17 in total) and poor ball movement limited scoring chances. Only Devon Chism found any real rhythm, finishing with 13 points and 9 rebounds on 5-of-9 shooting. Ali Rashed added 9 points and 6 boards, and Mohamed Buallay chipped in 7. But Bahrain's offense never truly fired.
Chinese Depth Stands Out
Taipei, meanwhile, showed their full offensive arsenal. He Dan led all scorers with 19 points, knocking down five threes on six attempts, while Chen YingChun added 14 points and 5 assists in a brilliant performance.
Taipei dominated on the boards, outrebounding Bahrain 52–35, including 15 offensive rebounds, and finished with 22 assists as they ran Bahrain's defense ragged.
Defending Champions Await
The loss drops Bahrain to 6–1, but there's no time to dwell. They return to the court at 10 AM today against Philippines' Strong Group Athletics, the defending champions and another powerhouse in this year's field. This will be Bahrain's final match of the tournament. Strong Group are coming off an amazing 106– 98 win over Malaysia, which is the highest-scoring game of the tournament so far.
It's a tough turnaround, both mentally and physically, but also a chance to show they can bounce back.
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