Image reproduced from ETtoday 新聞雲

In the Jones Cup match on the 4th, the Chinese women's basketball team faced Thailand, which is considered a crucial warm-up for their upcoming Asian Cup Level II competition. Although the Chinese team exhibited strong performance in the first half, they faced a tense second half where their lead dwindled to just three points. Ultimately, the Chinese women's basketball team secured a victory with a score of 80 to 64, with point guard Peng Xiaotong emphasizing the team's slow start during the third quarter after the game.

After their previous game against the Universiade training team, the Chinese team needed to regain confidence and focus for this match. They opened the scoring within 30 seconds of the start and established a significant lead of 23 to 12 in the first quarter. At halftime, they held a 15-point advantage, leading 48 to 33. However, after the third quarter began, the Thai team showed resilience and reduced the lead to just three points, making for a tense match. In the final quarter, two foreign players, Lin Yuting and Peng Xiaotong, combined for 10 points, helping the team pull away and secure the victory.

After the match, head coach Michael Olson praised Thailand as a good team, noting that although they have lost all three of their matches, their progress and effort are apparent. Olson indicated that today, the team exhibited more competitiveness than yesterday and expressed the hope that they would create more distance in the fourth quarter. She further noted that Thailand's high shooting percentage made it difficult for the Chinese team to increase their lead.

Reflecting on their disappointing loss to the Universiade training team yesterday, Olson admitted, "We played very poorly yesterday; however, that’s something that can occur in basketball. We hope to show better performance in the upcoming matches against Korea and Japan." As the point guard for the Chinese team, Peng Xiaotong made a significant contribution of 12 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds in this match, expressing her determination to return to the higher echelons of competition. She emphasized the importance of this match, stating that yesterday’s game provided them with a good challenge, and today they focused on their own performance, starting from defense to drive their offense.

Peng Xiaotong also pointed out that while they won the game, the slow start in the second half was a matter to reflect upon. She stated, "We must learn from today's lessons and be well prepared for tomorrow's match against Korea."