CHENGDU, China, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Xinjiang put on a defensive-minded game to best Shanghai 68-53 in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) league here on Wednesday.
Restraining Shanghai to five points in the first quarter and 18 at the break, Xinjiang obviously found its winning key.
Wang Lili made 11 of 20 field shots and scored 25 points for Xinjiang, one of the title contenders over the current campaign. Wang Siyu helped with 11.
"We know that Shanghai boasts a quick pace and three-pointer shooting ability. We had a great defense and restrained the opponents' character today," said Xinjiang coach Gao Fengjuan.
As opposed to early sluggishness last game, Xinjiang heated quickly into the game with a 10-0 surge on Shanghai's consecutive turnovers, before Bao Meng's jumper snapped Shanghai's scoring drought over six minutes. Xinjiang set up a 10-point cushion as the first quarter ran out.
After substitutes stepped in, Xinjiang maintained its level of defense, holding Shanghai to shot-clock violations on several occasions and leading 27-18 at halftime.
Shanghai guard Peng Szu-Chin hobbled off the court, seemingly through a strain, just one minute into the second half. Without one of its main scorers, Shanghai could not catch up on the offensive end as Xinjiang pulled away through backcourt combo Wang Siyu and Wang Lili's efforts.
"We executed the tactics and contained them quite well," Wang Siyu noted.
On the Shanghai side, Zhou Yuyan had 11 points, and Han Xu bagged 10.
"With 53 points you cannot win any game," admitted Shanghai coach Milos Paden.
"It was a very strong and tough defense. They played with a lot of contacts, and it was not easy to score, with a lot of turnovers and missed shots," he commented. Enditem
