CHN/MLI - China win over Mali, take aim at second place in Group B

BEIJING (Olympics) - China brushed aside Mali 69-48 to move closer to a second-place finish in Group B.

Miao Lijie made five of eight shots from the arc on her way to a game-high 25 points for the Chinese, whose only defeat in the competition has been at the hands of the United States.

China's defense pressured Mali into 21 turnovers and that aspect of the game more than any other is why the team has been able to reach the quarter-finals.

"It's a huge, a monumental leap (in defense) from where we were, from just honestly, vomiting juice in defense to playing defense that's good," Maher said to FIBA.com.

"It took tears but it's decent now. We are not (Australia international) Penny Taylors, but we are decent."

Offensively, the Chinese have their struggles but they do have a few weapons in center Chen Nan, Miao and Bian Lan.

Chen ignited a 7-0 run late in the first quarter for a 17-6 lead and with FIBA Africa champions Mali trying to stay in touch, the Olympic hosts reeled off 11 points in the second quarter for a commanding 35-15 advantage with 1:09 remaining in the half.

Mali maintained their focus and battled away, trimming the deficit to 48-35 late in the third quarter on a three-ball from Kanoute Kadiatou.

China scored the last four points of the third quarter, though, and the first four of the fourth for a 56-35 lead.

Tom Maher's team was never under threat over the final 10 minutes.

Maher took the reins of the Chinese team several months after leading New Zealand to the quarter-finals of the 2004 Olympics.

Expectations were high in the country that China would win a medal after their win over an under-strength USA team at the 2008 Beijing Basketball Test Event.

However, there were still plenty of doubters about their prospects until the Olympics were underway and they defeated Spain.

"I think the turning point was when we beat Spain.

"Once we beat Spain, everybody starting saying 'Oh gee, maybe we can actually do okay.'

"I think if we come in fourth in the group and we end up meeting Australia and we get beaten, that's going to be really disappointing. We want to come second."

There is a good chance that the Czechs, who play China next, the Chinese and Spain will all finish with 3-2 records.

In that case, goal differential in the games between those three teams would determine the order of finish in the group.

China would prefer to finish second and avoid world champions Australia - a team Maher once coached - and Russia.

Those two sides will finish in the top two places in Group A.

"We need to beat Czech Republic," Maher said.

"If we beat them, we finish ahead of Spain can. If we lose by 10 or less, I think we come third and the Czechs would come fourth.

"If the Czechs beat us by more than that then we come in fourth."

Mali played again without captain Hamchetou Maiga, the Gambrinus Brno and WNBA star who sprained her ankle.

Djene Diawara and Aminata Sininta each had 11 points and Djenebou Sissoko nine for the Africans.

Mali have made quite an impression with their rebounding in this Olympics. They won that battle against China, 50-41, with Sissoko pulling down an impressive 19 - the highest amount for a single game in this competition.

FIBA