Spain pull away from China and improve to 2-1

RIO DE JANEIRO (Rio 2016 Olympic Games) - Spain pulled away from China late in the third quarter and dominated the final frame to take an 89-68 win on Day 5 of the Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament at Deodoro Youth Arena.

There was little to separate the two teams through the first two and a half quarters as they exchanged the lead 14 times and the score was tied on 9 occasions and China only trailed 41-38 at halftime.

Lucas Mondelo's side went on the offensive, turning a 48-48 tie midway through the third quarter into a 64-55 cushion with 1:03 left in the period. They carried that momentum over into the final frame, in which they outscored China 25-9 to put the game well out of reach.

Turning Point: Shao Ting tied the score at 48 with 6:30 remaining in the third quarter. Spain responded with a 12-4 run spearheaded by Astou Ndour, Alba Torrens and Leticia Romero. Even though China were within 64-59 heading into the final period, the Spaniards staved off any potential comeback and then added to their advantage in the closing minutes of the game. 

Stats Don't Lie: Spain scored 24 points off of China's 17 turnovers. 

Hero: Torrens is an obvious choice, as she finished with a game-high 32 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 4 assists, is an obvious choice. Romero deserves a lot of credit as the 21-year-old provided a huge lift off the bench with 16 points on a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line.

The Bottom Line: The win enabled Spain to improve to 2-1 and bounce back from their lopsided defeat against the USA on Monday. They are temporarily top of the table in Group B. China dropped to 1-2 and are fourth in the standings, with win-less Serbia and Senegal behind them. 

FIBA