CHENGDU, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Sichuan faced little challenge in cruising past Hebei 103-73 in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) league here on Tuesday.
Sichuan displayed its balanced firepower with four players bagging at least 13 points, out-rebounding 55-27 and scoring 60 paint points. Gao Song shot 11 of 15 from the field to finish with 22 points and 15 boards.
"Regardless of the score, both sides played a great game. We came into this match with intention and tasks, but failed on some of them," admitted Sichuan coach Pan Wei.
Gao stepped up to finish three easy baskets in a row, powering Sichuan to a 10-point lead midway through the first quarter. Hebei pulled back through three-point plays from Guo Zixuan and Huang Jingjing, but after Shao's return, Sichuan steadied for a 27-18 advantage after the quarter expired.
Bench players provided much help to Sichuan, as Fang Zhuoya scored all 12 halftime points to extend Sichuan's lead to 13 points.
Outscoring by nine points in the third quarter, Sichuan blew the game open, as Gao continued her scoring output from the paint to nail 12 points during the span.
Hebei's sparse offense could not truly put a scare into Sichuan, who led by as many as 34 points in the fourth quarter.
As a team that has experienced a big change in its roster, Sichuan registered a 4-1 record after five rounds, but Pan is aware of a tough route ahead.
"I always pay more attention to problems than results. So far we have achieved something, but it will not be a smooth route for us. We have to be down to earth and work hard in every game," she commented.
Guo converted 13 of 14 free throws to score a game-high 39 points, but Sichuan proved too powerful for Hebei, who lost four matches in a row into this season.
"Our players executed something today, and both teams showed intensity in defense," Hebei coach Ma Tao commented.
"We didn't put on good defense today, giving their post players many easy baskets," said Chen Jinting, who scored 10. Enditem
