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| Zhao Jiwei could not help but bow down in despair as China was knocked out of playoff contention. FIBA |
By Ivan Saldajeno
MANILA—Gilas Pilipinas Men's bid for an outright Olympic spot is still alive after host China missed out on the Round of 16 following a 59-72 loss to Venezuela on Wednesday night at the Wukesong Sports Center in Beijing.
In the match that decided which team will join Poland in the playoffs, Venezuela held China to just 10 points in the first quarter to set up a game-long stifling.
Heissler Guillent scored 15 points, grabbed three rebounds, dished out eight assists, and took one steal to lead Venezuela.
Dwight Lewis added 13 points, one rebound, two assists, and one steal.
Fang Shuo collected 13 points, one rebound, and one assist for China, which slipped to the classification phase for 17th-32nd places despite beating Ivory Coast in its opening game.
In Wuhan, Nigeria clobbered South Korea, 108-66, to send the Asian side to the consolation round winless as well.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno
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