MELBOURNE, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Rising star Zhang Ziyu scored 28 points, but costly turnovers saw China's women's basketball team fall 76-74 to Australia in a World Cup warm-up game in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Coming off the bench and playing most of the game, the 19-year-old center, who stands 2.26 meters tall, made 11 of 12 shots from the field while adding 11 rebounds and four blocked shots.
China trailed by as many as 15 points early in the fourth quarter before mounting a spirited comeback, with Zhang scoring seven points in less than two minutes to cut the deficit. However, the visitors were unable to complete the rally in the first of two exhibition games against Australia ahead of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in September.
Trailing 74-72 with 27 seconds remaining, Wang Siyu attempted to feed Zhang under the basket, but the pass slipped through the center's hands for China's 22nd turnover of the game. Australia captain Steph Reid then sealed the victory from the free-throw line.
Wang finished with 16 points, five assists and four steals to support Zhang's dominant performance, while Reid led Australia with 16 points.
The teams will meet again in Melbourne on Thursday in their final warm-up game before the World Cup. ■
