JINAN, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Sharks dominated two-time NBL champion Hong Kong JinNiu with a commanding 101-78 victory at the 2025-26 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) League Club Cup on Sunday.

Having collected three consecutive wins, Shanghai secured top spot in the group and advances to the final tournament next February.

Shanghai established a 24-18 lead in the first quarter, before it unleashed a 14-4 run to further extend the advantage in the second quarter. Star player Zhang Zhenlin, who made his debut for Shanghai, contributed six consecutive points, helping his new club close out the first half 58-39 ahead.

The huge advantage allowed Shanghai head coach Lu Wei to rotate heavily, as the Sharks went on to secure a 23-point victory.

For Shanghai, Kenneth Lofton posted 19 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Kyle Fogg added 19 points and Wang Zhelin finished with 18 points and seven rebounds.

"Although we won today, our opponents posed significant challenges. Through the three matches in this Club Cup, we have successfully integrated as a team, and each player's form is trending positively. While there are still some details that need polishing, we have a few days to refine them," said Lu afterwards.

Also on Sunday, the Shanxi Brave Dragons had a hard-fought battle with the Eastern Long Lions and won 80-73. The first three quarters were tightly contested, while in the fourth quarter, Jaylen Nowell stepped up with 17 points to help Shanxi build a crucial lead and ultimately seal the win.

In other games, the Qingdao Eagles routed the Tianjin Pioneers 116-93, the Zhejiang Golden Bulls defeated the Xinjiang Flying Tigers 94-85, the Shandong Heroes edged the Beijing Ducks 99-95, the Guangdong Southern Tigers crushed Hefei Kuangfeng 102-69, the Beijing Royal Fighters defeated the Ningbo Rockets 92-88, and the Jilin Northeast Tigers nosed out the Shenzhen Leopards 88-85. Enditem