China’s schedule at the 2012 London Olympics women’s basketball competition

(Prelim Round Group A)

July 28: bt Czech Republic 66-57 (Box scores)

July 30: Vs. Croatia

Aug 1: Vs. Angola

Aug 3: Vs. Turkey

Aug 5: Vs. USA

Group Standings

LONDON, United Kingdom (2012 London Olympics): China’s women’s team tipped off their campaign – in fact the basketball competition in the 2012 London Olympics itself – beating 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women silver medalists Czech Republic 66-57 (Box scores) in a Group A game on Saturday.

Ma Zengyu (pic above) marked her Olympic debut scoring 6 points and dishing out 2 assists as youngster Gao Song reeled in back-to-back three-pointers to put China 20-16 lead at the end of the first period.

Czech Republic had opened the scoring for the game via an Ilona Burgrova basket, but that was the only occasion they were in lead for the remainder of the game. An 8-0 run marked China’s ascension and there was no looking back for the reigning FIBA Asia Championship for Women winners, after that.

“This was a contest of speed and size. We won the contest because we controlled the tempo of the game,” China coach coach Sun Fengwu said. Click here for more comments from the China coach

Ma Zengyu, a key member of the Chinese team that won the 24th FIBA Asia Championship for Women at Omura (Japan) last year, went on to give her team the upper hand scoring 14 out of 16 points in the first half.

“I was overwhelmed,” said the 30-year-old said about her first game at the Olympics.

“We started well and my teammates trusted me. They created a lot of opportunities for me and I made the shots.”

Veteran Miao Lijie, the MVP at the