China’s schedule at the 2012 London Olympics women’s basketball competition

(Prelim Round Group A)

July 28: bt Czech Republic 66-57

July 30: bt Croatia 83-58

Aug 1: bt Angola 76-52

Aug 3: lt to Turkey 55-82

Aug 5: Vs. USA (1545 Hrs GMT)

Group Standings

LONDON, United Kingdom (2012 London Olympics): China fell into a heavy deficit early in the game, thence fought a losing battle before eventually going down 55-82 (Box scores) to 2011 Eurobasket for Women silver medalists Turkey – thus suffering their first defeat in competition – in a needle Group A Prelim Round game of the women’s basketball competition of the 2012 London Olympics on Friday.

Click here for post-game comments

Nan Chen (pic above) was the only Chinese to return double-digit scoring with 19 points with a 9/15 field shooting, the Bayi Kylin center also hauling down 8 rebounds.

Ma Zengyu, who averaged 13.33 points per game in the first three wins for China, had only four looks at the goal converting three of them for her 7 points. Ma also pulled down 8 rebounds.

Veteran Miao Lijie dished out 6 assists but was restrained to only 6 points with a meager 2/7 in field shooting.

Turkey, on the other hand, had four players scoring in the double-digits with Nevriye Yilmaz leading their scoring with 16 points and Kuanitra Holingsvorth picking a double-double – 10 points and 12 rebounds.

The defeat dashed China’s chances of a No 2 finish in the Prelim Round given that they take on the might of defending Olympic gold medalists USA in their final Prelim Round game on Sunday.

Turkey, who like China have a 3-1 win-loss record after four games, are pitted against Croatia. Even a defeat for Turkey against Croatia will leave them ahead of China on head-to-head record, unless China can pull off an unexpected win against the USA.

China, a semifinalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, having already made the cut for the quarterfinals will finish No 3 in the Group A standings and will take on the No 2 team of Group B in the play-offs. Of course there’s always the upset we spoke about, but that’s for another day.

Coming back to Friday’s game, China seemed to hold their own in the early part of the first quarter with the scoring evenly matched till Turkey upped the ante in the closing minutes of the first period.

Turkey closed the first quarter with a 12-0 run and further scored the first five points of the second quarter to build a 19-point lead. That scoring spree effectively sealed China’s fate.

FIBA Asia