China coach keen on D’Tigress sweep

China's coach Gong Luming is optimistic about a clean sweep of Nigeria's D’Tigress in a pre-World Cup exhibition series. Wang Siyu's four free throws in the final seconds helped the hosts rally from an eight-point deficit to defeat Nigeria 69-65 in Haikou on Sunday. This result marks D’Tigress' second consecutive loss to China, following their 70-67 defeat in their first exhibition game on Friday.

Tang Ziting contributed to China's victory by sinking three-pointers early in the final period and sealing the score with another three-pointer. Zhang Ziyu was the standout performer for China, scoring 23 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, while Wang Siyu led Nigeria with a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds. Nigeria's physical defense kept them competitive throughout the first half, with the score tied at 33-33 at halftime.

However, China dominated the final period with five three-pointers, while Nigeria committed 19 turnovers, five more than China, in the closely contested game. Gong Luming emphasized the importance of facing Nigeria's physical defense as a valuable experience for his young team ahead of the World Cup. The China leg is part of D’Tigress' "Road to Berlin" preparation program, which includes games in the United States, Haikou, Foshan, Tenerife, and Zaragoza, leading up to the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin from September 4 to 13.