TEHRAN - Iran’s boys’ national basketball team suffered a heavy defeat against China in its third match of the FIBA U-18 Asia Cup.
 Iran faced China in its third and final group-stage match, with Hassanpour’s side losing 96-58.
The result saw China finish top of Group C and advance directly to the quarterfinals.
Iran, meanwhile, will have to contest a qualification playoff for a place in the quarterfinals, where it will face the third-placed team from Group D. Either India or Kazakhstan will be Iran’s opponent in the playoff.
The quarter-by-quarter scores listed for the match were:
First quarter: Iran 17-29 China
Second quarter: Iran 12-18 China
Third quarter: Iran 17-27 China
Fourth quarter: Iran 22-12 China
Iran’s group-stage results:
Iran 94-69 Qatar
Iran 110-42 Sri Lanka
Iran 58-96 China
The boys’ U-18 Asia Cup features 16 teams divided into four groups of four and is being held in Ahmedabad, India, from August 13 to 23.
The top four teams in the tournament will qualify for the 2027 FIBA U-19 Basketball World Cup.