XI'AN, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Liu Bei scored a game-high 23 points as Team North cruised past Team South 99-70 on Saturday in the Rising Stars Game on the opening night of the 2025-26 Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) All-Star Weekend.
Liu also had six rebounds, eight assists and six steals, and was named the Most Valuable Player. All 12 Team North players got on the scoresheet, while towering center Zhang Ziyu added 20 points and eight rebounds.
"Thanks for my coach and teammates for motivating and encouraging me," Liu said after winning the MVP award.
Liu opened the scoring for Team North with a fast-break layup. After coming off the bench midway through the first quarter, 7-foot-5 Chinese international Zhang made an immediate impact, scoring six points to help Team North build a 31-13 lead by the end of the quarter.
Team North stretched its advantage to 27 points in the second quarter before taking a 19-point lead into halftime.
However, Team North went scoreless for more than three minutes after the break, allowing Team South to cut the deficit to 10 points with a 9-0 run, which Zhang ended with a basket under the hoop.
Team South kept chipping away through Li Yuqian's 3-pointer, but Liu steadied Team North with consecutive free throws.
With Zhang protecting the rim and Liu leading the attack, Team North regained control and took a 72-46 lead into the final quarter. Team South was unable to mount a comeback from there.
Also Saturday, China captain Yang Shuyu advanced to the final of the 3-point contest along with four other players.
In the skills challenge, wildcard entrant Feng Minmin, a second-year senior high school student from Guangxi, failed to qualify for the final after making her second appearance at All-Star Weekend in less than a month following the Chinese Basketball Association event.
However, Feng said the experience of appearing on such a big stage would continue to push her to pursue her basketball dream.
"I will continue to love basketball and improve myself," she said.
The WCBA All-Star Game, along with the finals of the skills challenge and 3-point contest, will be held Sunday. ■
