CHN/CIV – Yi and Wang power China past Ivory Coast

ANKARA (2010 FIBA World Championship) – China pulled away in the second half to beat the Ivory Coast 83-73 and register their first win at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

Yi Jianlian and Wang Shipeng combined for 51 points as Bob Donewald’s charges scored timely baskets to end a number of big runs by Ivory Coast.

Yi, Wang Zhizhi and Wang scored all the points as China led 21-17 at the end of the first quarter.

Ivory Coast scored five straight points to start the second period and edged in front 22-21, before Wang connected from downtown. Konate tied the score at 24 on a jumper.

Yi then made good on trips to the foul line and China found their range from beyond the arc to go up 40-30 and headed into the locker room up 41-33 at the break.

The Chinese extending their advantage to 50-37 on a Yi lefty hook midwawy through the third quarter.

Ivory Coast used a three-point barrage to get back within seven, 55-48 but the Chinese answered with timely baskets by Shipeng and Liu Wei. Yi drove the lane for a thunderous dunk with 1:50 left and China took a 66-51 lead into the final quarter.

They held on to a double-digit lead until the closing minutes when their opponents got within seven, but that is as close as they got.

Randoald Dessarzin’s side was without two important backcourt players as star guard Pape-Philippe Amagou missed his second game in his efforts to recover from a sprained big toe in his left foot, while Issife Soumahoro was unavailable after spraining his right ankle against Turkey on Saturday.

Quotes:

Bob Donewald Jr (China head coach): “We were focused after an emotional loss yesterday. This young team likes to fight and make their country proud. We are making progress. Recovering from yesterday's loss emotionally is how we won this game.”

Yi Jianlian (China forward): “It was a very good game. We fought hard. We need to do what we did in this game in all games.”

Randoald Dessarzin (Ivory Coast head coach): “To compete against a good team like China is hard. There is a saying, I can open my umbrella and protect myself. In our case we didn’t want to protect ourselves. We fought hard and strong. We were not able to find solutions to a strong team like China. We couldn’t find the energy for the key moments. We needed to build a team against their towers.”

Mouloukou Diabate (Ivory Coast guard): “I think we lost the game because we couldn’t control the ball. We were not consistent. We had some good moments for two or three minutes, playing good defense and then for five minutes we had nothing. Chinese players are good in offence and also in defence. That is why we lost.”

FIBA

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