London, England – Ma Zengyu scored 16 points and Miao Lijie added 12, leading China to a 66-57 victory over the Czech Republic in the Olympic women's basketball opener.
Gao Song and Chen Nan each chipped in 10 points for the Chinese, who never trailed after the Czechs scored the game's opening basket but couldn't put it away until late.
Eva Viteckova scored 14 points for the Czech Republic, while Katerina Elhotova contributed 13.
After Ilona Burgrova's basket gave the Czechs a 2-0 lead, Gao countered with a three-pointer to start an 8-0 run for the Chinese. A Chen bucket inside gave China a 15-4 cushion, but the Czechs battled back and trailed 20-16 after one quarter.
The Czechs tied it at 24-24 midway through the second, but China again quickly opened an eight-point margin and carried a 36-29 advantage to the break. The Chinese led by as many as 12 in the third quarter and took a 51-44 edge into the fourth.
A three-pointer by the Czech Republic's Michaela Zrustova tied it at 53-53 with 7 1/2 minutes remaining, but Chen scored inside to ignite a 12-2 run that finally sealed it for China.
