ROME, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- China lost to Italy 88-76 in a warmup game for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Trento, Italy on Friday.
China had four players scoring in double figures, with Luo Xinyu and Chen Mingling each bagging 14 points. Towering center Zhang Ziyu had 13 points and eight rebounds, while veteran guard Wang Siyu added 11 points and seven assists.
Trailing 18-16 after the first quarter, China committed consecutive errors early in the second, during which Italy had a 33-21 quarter to extend its lead to 14 points by halftime.
China cut the deficit to six points in the third quarter, while Italy made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to lead 69-58 entering the final frame and never looked back.
Jasmine Keys had a game-high 19 points for Italy.
The two sides will meet again in a warmup behind closed doors on Saturday. China will play against Puerto Rico, Mali and Spain in Zaragoza, Spain, before heading to Berlin for its final World Cup warmup against France on September 1.
The 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup is scheduled to be held in Berlin from September 4 to 13. China has been drawn into Group D alongside the United States, the Czech Republic and Italy. ■
