China down Cote d'Ivoire, claim 1st win
China took advantage of a depleted Cote d'Ivoire squad as they claimed their first win in Group C at the Ankara Arena.
Yi Jianlian and Wang Shipeng combined forces to power the Chinese over the Ivorians, 83-73. The Chinese relied on Yi, Wang, and former National Basketball Association player Wang Zhizhi early on as they finished the first quarter with a 21-17 lead.
The Ivorians were the aggressors at the start of the second period, scoring five straight points to take the lead, 22-21. Wang Shipeng countered with a trey on the other end to regain China's lead but Kinidinnin Konate responded with a lay-up to tie the scores at 24-24.
The Chinese, however, regained their composure to pull away from their African opponents again. A series of free throws from Yi and several outside shots allowed the Asian giants to extend their lead to 40-30 approaching half-time. Bob Donewald’s wards had to settle for a 41-33 lead at the break.
The second half saw an even more aggressive Chinese quintet as they further stretched their advantage. Yi's hook shot midway in the period allowed the multi-titled Asian champions to extend their lead to 50-37. The Ivorians responded with a barrage of three-pointers to cut China's advantage to seven points, 48-55. But Wang Shipeng and veteran guard Liu Wei countered with timely baskets, foiling the Ivorians' rally. Yi's thunderous dunk with less than two minutes remaining in the quarter concluded China's run as they built a 66-51 cushion heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
Cote d'Ivoire desperately attempted a comeback in the last quarter but could only come to within seven points in the closing minutes.
Yi led all scorers with 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Wang Shipeng finished with 25 points while Liu contributed 12 for the Chinese, who bowed to Greece, 81-89, on Saturday. Mouloukou Diabate had an outstanding all-around performance of 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists to lead the Ivorians. Kinidinnin Konate added 11 points while Brice Assie and Guy Edi had nine each for Cote d'Ivoire, who suffered their second loss of the tournament.
The Ivorians played without Pape-Philippe Amagou for the second straight game as the star guard is still nursing a toe injury. Also absent was Issife Soumahoro, who sprained his right ankle in their 47-86 defeat to hosts Turkey on opening day.
China will next play Puerto Rico on Tuesday while Cote d'Ivoire will lock horns with Russia. Tomorrow will be a rest day for the two squads.
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