Chen Xiaoli grabbed 24 points and four rebounds to lead the north
team past south 117-99, winning the title of the fifth WCBA
all-star game in Jiyuan on Tuesday.
Tipped as a fast horse, Chen nailed the first six points and
ignited their team spirit at the second half by dishing out two
assists in the third quarter as the south try to fight back.
The north team took the command from the very beginning to lead
26-23 in the first quarter, and extended its lead to 61-41 by the
end of the first half.
Inspired by Asian number one center Chen Nan, the south fought
back from the third quarter and cut the deficit to 84-70 by the end
of the third quarter.
Zhang Lin contributed 16 points and six rebounds to the north
team, While Bian Lan led south with 17 points and two rebounds.
Based on her excellent performance during the game, Chen was
awarded the MVP (most valuable player) of the game.
Jiang Xu of Shenyang team beat Yang Bo of Jiangsu 20-13 to win
the three-point shootout.
In a related development, the women's national team also
announced its roster after the conclusion of the WCBA season.
Ye Li, NBA team Huston Rockets center?Yao Ming's
girlfriend, is on the list despite being out of competitions all
season due to injury.
The national team will begin to rally on Friday to prepare for
the World Championships in September. China is grouped with US,
Russia and Nigeria.
(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2006)
