WUHAN, March 8 (Xinhua) -- China defeated the Czech Republic 85-51 in its final warm-up game before the FIBA Women's World Cup qualifying tournament here on Sunday.
China seized control early, opening with a 27-13 first quarter behind sharp shooting. The hosts made five of seven 3-point attempts in the opening period and extended the lead to 51-27 by halftime.
The Czech Republic attempted to rally after the break, scoring 14 points in the third quarter, but China maintained its advantage. The home side pulled further ahead in the final period to seal the comfortable victory.
Tang Ziting, Liu Yutong and Chen Mingling each scored in double figures for China. Teen center Zhang Ziyu added eight points in just over six minutes of playing time.
China had previously beaten Brazil twice in warm-up games in the central Chinese city of Changsha, winning 74-69 and 72-66 respectively.
Head coach Gong Luming said the match continued with the team's preparation plan as China experimented player rotations and tactical setups ahead of the qualifiers.
"The result boosted the team's morale and confidence and laid a good foundation for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers," Gong said after the game.
Gong noted that the warm-up series provided valuable playing time for his players.
"Our opponents in the warm-up games are also key rivals in the qualifiers, so everyone is trying to understand each other," Gong said. "The most important thing is building confidence and adapting to the offensive and defensive styles of strong teams. I think we did quite well, especially our guards."
The 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup qualifying tournament will be held from March 11 to 17 in Wuhan. China will face Belgium, Brazil, South Sudan, the Czech Republic and Mali.
Belgium, as the continental champion, has already secured a place in the World Cup finals, leaving the remaining teams to compete for three qualification spots. ■
