THE Rio Olympic journey of the Chinese women’s basketball team came to an end after they finished with a 1-4 group stage result Sunday.
The top-ranked United States beat No. 8 China 105-62 earlier Sunday in their last group match to finish a perfect 5-0 at the Rio Olympics.
Sun Mengran finished with a team-high 16 points for China. Captain Lu Wen added 14. Four American players had double-digit points, led by Charles and Griner with 18 apiece.
“We lack physical play and transition when we face the U.S. They did much better than us in ball possession and offensive efficiency,” commented starting point guard Chen Xiaojia.
“We didn’t play to our expectation, but this young team played pretty good in some moments,” said veteran center Chen Nan.
“It’s a pity that we lost the chance by not taking care of the ball against Spain and Serbia. Learning some lessons to be better in the future, that’s the most important thing for these young players,” she added.
In other games Sunday, Serbia beat Senegal 95-88 and Spain enjoyed a 73-60 win over Canada. Nirra Fields led the way for Canada with 13 points and Alba Torrens scored 20 points for Spain.
With the victory, Spain finished Group B in second place and will play Turkey in Tuesday’s quarter-finals. Canada will take on France. The United States will meet No. 16 Japan. Australia will take on Serbia in the quarter-finals. (Xinhua)
|