Team China suffers 2nd straight defeat in World Cup qualifiers

South Korea defeated China 90-76 at home in the second group match of Asian qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup on Monday, three days after their first encounter in Beijing.

China suffered a painful loss 80-76 on Friday, allowing South Korea to achieve a 45.2 percent three-pointer shooting for the road win.

While in the back-to-back match, South Korea showed even higher morale at home to dominate the first quarter 28-13. China still felt difficult to turn around, trailing 52-29 by halftime.

China's Cheng Shuaipeng led the team to strengthen their offense in the second half, but South Korea managed to take an upper hand and sealed the victory.

Lee Jung-hyun of South Korea had a game-high 24 points, and his teammate Lee Hyun-jung, who pocketed 33 points on Friday, contributed 20 points this time.

Cheng registered a team-high 19 points for China, but he retired due to injury in the fourth quarter.

Sixteen teams are divided into four groups for the Asian qualifiers. China is in Group B with Japan, South Korea and Chinese Taipei. The top three teams in each group advance to the second round.

In February 2026, China and South Korea will face Japan and Chinese Taipei, respectively.