TAIYUAN, China, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Beijing Haidian lost to Guangxi in the Under-18 women's basketball tournament at China's National Youth Games here on Wednesday. Guangxi ended Beijing's unbeaten record and kept alive their own hopes of reaching the last four.
Beijing dominated the opening stages and led 19-12 in the first quarter.
Guangxi built a solid system in the second, with Huang Chunting helping her team turn the tables with a strong three-pointer, but Beijing continued to lead 35-30 before the half-time break.
Huang's three-pointer helped Guangxi score five points consecutively in the third period. With Beijing suffering several unforced errors, Guangxi led the game 51-50 before the final quarter.
Beijing's five starters had covered almost the entirety of the last three games, and towards the end of the match, Zhang Anqi was forced off with cramp. Inspired by Huang, who racked up 22 points and seven rebounds in the match, Guangxi sealed a 68-62 win.
We prepared very well for the game, our players did very well in defense, Guangxi coach Liu Yue told Xinhua.
In fact, both teams had an even chance of winning the match. We did better in limiting our rival's insiders, Li added.
With four of five rounds having been played, Jiangsu Xianlin, who smashed Hainan Chengmai 89-57, and Jiangsu Changzhou, who defeated Henan Samenxia 65-43, have both secured their positions in the semifinals. The final group stage matchday is on Thursday.