WCBA Round 15 (Regular Season): Shandong hands first loss to Guangdong

Here is the last round review presented by LBM Management.

The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of Vermilion Birds (14-1) in Penglai on Monday night. Visitors were defeated by fourth ranked Sports Lottery (10-5) 83-75. It ended at the same time the 14-game winning streak of Vermilion Birds. It was a great shooting night for Shandong especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 55.0 percentage. It was a good game for American forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (193-1992, college: MTSU) who led her team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 20 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists. Her fellow American import guard Maya Caldwell (180-1998, college: Georgia) contributed with 18 points and 4 steals for the winners. American guard Aliyah Collier (183-1997, college: Clemson) answered with 13 points and 9 rebounds for Guangdong. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Shandong maintains fourth place with 10-5 record, which they share with Jiangsu. Defending champion Guangdong still keeps top position with one game lost. Shandong is looking forward to face Wuhan (#7) on the road in the next round. Guangdong will play against Sichuan (#3) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Important game to mention about took place in Nanjing. Fifth ranked Jiangsu (10-5) saved a 3-point victory at home edging 7th ranked hengfan (7-8) 77-74 on Monday evening. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of hengfan. It was a great evening for American center Jillian Alleyne (190-1994, college: Oregon) who led her team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 12 rebounds. Xu Chenyan helped adding 25 points and 6 rebounds. The best for the losing side was American center Olivia Nelson-Ododa (196-2000, college: UConn) with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Jiangsu moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Shandong. Wuhan at the other side keeps the seventh position with eight games lost. They share it with Xinjiang. Jiangsu will play against Xinjiang (#8) in Urumqi in the next round. Wuhan will play at home against Shandong and hopes to get back on the winning track.
An interesting game for Hefei (13-2) which hosted in Hefei 4th placed Henan Phoenix (8-6). First ranked Hefei managed to get a 5-point victory 92-87. It was an exceptional evening for Jaime Nared who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 32 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists (went 11 for 11 at the free throw line !!!). Imani McGee-Stafford came up with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 13 rebounds for Henan in the defeat. Both coaches allowed to play bench players in such tough game. Hefei have an impressive series of ten victories in a row. They maintain first place with 13-2 record. Loser Henan Phoenix keeps the fourth position with six games lost. They share it with Shanghai. Hefei will meet Xiamen (#3) on the road in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Henan will play against the league's second-placed Liaoning in Anshan and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

There were no big surprises in other games of round 15: Hebei was smashed by Xinjiang on the road 110-79. Winless Ganzhou was destroyed by Liaoning on its own court 58-92. Beijing unfortunately lost to Shanghai in a road game 80-97. Shanxi rolled over Shaanxi at home 107-64. Sichuan crushed Zhejiang on the opponent's court 105-62. Xiamen was beaten by Hefei in a home game 78-91.
The most impressive performance of 15th round was 28 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists by Aisha Sheppard of Xiamen.

The Round Review is presented by LBM Management. A full-service agency focused on Women's basketball sphere and working worldwide. A global and ethical quality service.

Xinjiang - Hebei 110-79

The game between closely ranked teams ended with eighth ranked Magic Deer's (7-8) home victory over 9th ranked Power (4-11) in Urumqi 110-79 on Sunday. Xinjiang outrebounded Hebei 43-30 including a 29-18 advantage in defensive rebounds. Xinjiang looked well-organized offensively handing out 29 assists comparing to just 12 passes made by Hebei's players. It was an exceptional evening for American-Hungarian forward Beatrice Mompremier (193-1996, college: Miami, FL) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 24 points, 18 rebounds and 5 assists. American Jessica Jackson (193-1995, college: Arkansas) accounted for 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) for the winning side. Five Magic Deer players scored in double figures. Canadian guard Kayla Davis (170-1995, college: Towson) came up with 18 points and 6 rebounds and Canadian center Emily Potter (195-1995, college: Utah) added 15 points and 8 rebounds respectively for Hebei in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Xinjiang moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Wuhan. Hebei lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the ninth position with 11 games lost. They share it with Beijing. Xinjiang will meet at home higher ranked Jiangsu (#5) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Hebei will play against Shaanxi (#11) in Weinan and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Hebei: D.Kayla 18+6reb+2ast, P.Emily 15+8reb+1ast, W.Wang 13+2reb+3ast, W.Sydney 9+3reb+3ast, S.Ning 8+3reb, Z.Li 7+1reb+2ast
Xinjiang: B.Mompremier 24+18reb+5ast, X.Wang 22+7reb+1ast, J.Jackson 20+10reb+5ast, W.Tongtong 19+2reb+9ast, Z.Qifang 13+2reb+2ast, J.Abdulkelim 10+2reb+1ast

Ganzhou - Liaoning 58-92

Very expected game when bottom-ranked Ganzhou (0-14) was smashed at home by second ranked Liaoning Hengye (11-3) 92-58 on Sunday. Liaoning dominated down low during the game scoring 62 of its points in the paint compared to Ganzhou's 20. Liaoning forced 20 Ganzhou turnovers and outrebounded them 44-24 including a 32-20 advantage in defensive rebounds. Liaoning looked well-organized offensively handing out 30 assists comparing to just 13 passes made by Ganzhou's players. It was an exceptional evening for American point guard Tea Cooper (173-1997, college: Baylor) who led the winners and scored 29 points and 4 steals. Forward Meiqi Zhu (187-1996) accounted for 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for the winning side. Guard Xu Yanxue (171-1994) came up with 16 points and 8 rebounds and guard Yang Kejing (175-1962) added 14 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists respectively for Ganzhou in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Liaoning maintains second place with 11-3 record having four points less than leader Hefei. Loser Ganzhou still closes the standings with 14 games lost. Liaoning will meet at home Henan (#4) in the next round. Ganzhou will play against Fujian Z. in Putian and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Ganzhou: Y.Xu 16+8reb+3ast, K.Yang 14+5reb+6ast, J.Zhang 10+1ast, F.Zhao 5+1reb+1ast, J.Jiang 3+5reb, Z.Wang 3
Liaoning: T.Cooper 29+2reb+3ast, F.Jinqiu 13+4reb+3ast, M.Zhu 10+7reb+4ast, L.Yumeng 9+2reb+4ast, Y.Ge 6+4reb+1ast, H.Yiming 6+8reb+3ast

Hefei - Henan 92-87

An interesting game for Hefei (13-2) which hosted in Hefei 4th placed Henan Phoenix (8-6). First ranked Hefei managed to get a 5-point victory 92-87. Hefei made 22-of-28 free shots (78.6 percent) during the game. It was an exceptional evening for American guard Jaime Nared (188-1995, college: Tennessee) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 32 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists (went 11 for 11 at the free throw line !!!). Canadian center Phillipina Kyei (203-2003, college: Oregon) accounted for 11 points and 9 rebounds for the winning side. American center Imani McGee-Stafford (201-1994, college: Texas) came up with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 13 rebounds and the other American import point guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (175-1996, college: Maryland) added 19 points and 4 assists respectively for Henan in the defeat. Both coaches allowed to play bench players in such tough game. Hefei have an impressive series of ten victories in a row. They maintain first place with 13-2 record. Loser Henan Phoenix keeps the fourth position with six games lost. They share it with Shanghai. Hefei will meet Xiamen (#3) on the road in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Henan will play against the league's second-placed Liaoning in Anshan and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Henan: M.Imani 20+13reb+1ast, W.Shatori 19+4reb+4ast, S.MengXin 15+3reb+6ast, R.Huang 9+2reb+2ast, W.Ma 7+6reb, S.Anete 7+6reb+1ast
Hefei: J.Nared 32+13reb+6ast, Z.Wang 15+2reb+1ast, P.Kyei 11+9reb, X.Zhongyi 7+6reb+3ast, L.Yingyun 6+2reb+2ast, Y.Li 6+5reb

Shanghai - Beijing 97-80

Rather predictable result when sixth ranked Swordfish (8-6) won against 9th ranked Beijing Great Wall (4-11) in Shanghai 97-80 on Monday. Shanghai dominated down low during the game scoring 62 of its points in the paint compared to Beijing Great Wall's 32 and made 17-of-22 free shots (77.3 percent) during the game. Shanghai forced 21 Beijing turnovers. It was an exceptional evening for American point guard Chennedy Carter (175-1998, college: Texas A&M) who led the winners and scored 29 points and 8 assists. Her fellow American import forward Ruthy Hebard (192-1998, college: Oregon) accounted for 24 points and 10 rebounds for the winning side. Swordfish's coach used entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. Irish-Australian swingman Alice Kunek (185-1991) came up with 28 points and 5 assists (went 14 for 14 at the free throw line !!!) and guard Zheng Ming (178-2001) added 21 points respectively for Beijing in the defeat. Shanghai moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Henan. Loser Beijing Great Wall keeps the ninth position with 11 games lost. They share it with Hebei. Shanghai will meet at home league's second-placed Shanxi in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Beijing will play against Zhejiang (#12) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Beijing: K.Alice 28+4reb+5ast, M.Zheng 21+2reb+3ast, J.Kai 13+7reb+4ast, F.Kexir 6+4reb+1ast, J.Niu 5, Y.Wang 3+2reb+1ast
Shanghai: C.Carter 29+4reb+8ast, R.Hebard 24+10reb+1ast, X.Nuo 12+1ast, W.Yue 9+1reb+2ast, H.Jing 9+2reb+3ast, M.Mane 5+1reb+1ast

Shandong - Guangdong 83-75

The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of Vermilion Birds (14-1) in Penglai on Monday night. Visitors were defeated by fourth ranked Sports Lottery (10-5) 83-75. It ended at the same time the 14-game winning streak of Vermilion Birds. It was a great shooting night for Shandong especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 55.0 percentage. It was a good game for American forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (193-1992, college: MTSU) who led her team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 20 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists. Her fellow American import guard Maya Caldwell (180-1998, college: Georgia) contributed with 18 points and 4 steals for the winners. American guard Aliyah Collier (183-1997, college: Clemson) answered with 13 points and 9 rebounds and Australian guard Stephanie Reid (168-1996, college: Buffalo) added 11 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists in the effort for Guangdong. Five Guangdong players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Shandong maintains fourth place with 10-5 record, which they share with Jiangsu. Defending champion Guangdong still keeps top position with one game lost. Shandong is looking forward to face Wuhan (#7) on the road in the next round. Guangdong will play against Sichuan (#3) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Guangdong: Y.Liwei 15+1reb+5ast, C.Aliyah 13+9reb+3ast, R.Stephanie 11+5reb+7ast, Z.Jiali 11+2reb+2ast, L.Wenxia 11+3reb+3ast, Z.Mingzhu 10+7reb+3ast
Shandong: C.Parker-Tyus 20+14reb+5ast, M.Caldwell 18+4reb+2ast, J.Cao 13+6reb+3ast, Z.Zhang 10+2reb, J.Zhou 9+1reb+2ast, Z.Yazhuo 8+3reb+3ast

Shanxi - Shaanxi 107-64

Not a big story in a game when 11th ranked Red Wolves (2-13) were outscored by second ranked Flame (11-4) in Taiyuan 107-64 on Monday. Shanxi dominated down low during the game scoring 80 of its points in the paint compared to Red Wolves's 36. Shanxi had a 33-20 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 28 assists. American players dominated the game. It was an exceptional evening for center Kalani Brown (201-1997, college: Baylor, agency: LBM Management) who led the winners and scored 36 points (!!!) and 8 rebounds (on 16-of-19 shooting from the field). Center Queen Egbo (193-2000, college: Baylor) accounted for 19 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists for the winning side. Power forward Sidney Cooks (193-1998, college: Seton Hall) came up with 21 points and 5 rebounds and guard Sierra Calhoun (183-1996, college: Rutgers) added 14 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists respectively for Shaanxi in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the fourth consecutive win for Flame. Shanxi maintains second place with 11-4 record having just three points less than leader Hefei. Loser Red Wolves keeps the eleventh position with 13 games lost. They share it with Zhejiang. Shanxi will meet Shanghai (#6) on the road in the next round. Shaanxi will play against Hebei (#9) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Shaanxi: C.Sidney 21+5reb+2ast, C.Sierra 14+9reb+4ast, W.Jiaxi 7+3reb+1ast, A.Najing 7+2reb+3ast, F.Zhuoya 6+1reb+2ast, J.Liu 5+4reb+1ast
Shanxi: K.Brown 36+8reb, Q.Egbo 19+5reb+6ast, J.Gao 9+3reb+1ast, M.Whittle 9+3reb+4ast, Z.Yi 8+2reb+1ast, Y.Lin 7+5reb+6ast

Zhejiang - Sichuan 62-105

Everything went according to plan when third ranked Yuanda (10-4) outplayed 12th ranked Golden Bulls (2-13) in Yiwu 105-62 on Monday. Sichuan dominated down low during the game scoring 70 of its points in the paint compared to Golden Bulls's 46. Sichuan forced 25 Zhejiang turnovers and outrebounded them 38-23 including a 19-8 advantage in offensive rebounds. Sichuan looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. It was an exceptional evening for Australian center Elizabeth Cambage (205-1991) who led the winners and scored 28 points (on 13-of-17 shooting from the field). American-Bulgarian center Khaalia Hillsman (196-1996, college: Texas A&M) accounted for 19 points and 7 rebounds (on 8-of-9 shooting from the field) for the winning side. Four Yuanda players scored in double figures. Center Mengfan Dai (194-2005) came up with 13 points and 6 rebounds and point guard Chen Jianan (172-2000) added 14 points respectively for Zhejiang in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the fifth consecutive win for Yuanda. Sichuan maintains third place with 10-4 record having five points less than leader Hefei. Zhejiang lost their fourth game in a row. They dropped to the eleventh position with 13 games lost. They share it with Shaanxi. Sichuan will meet league's leader Guangdong in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Zhejiang will play against Beijing (#10) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Zhejiang: J.Chen 14+3reb+2ast, D.Mengfan 13+6reb+3ast, J.Yu 9+6reb+3ast, Z.Qi 7+3reb+6ast, Y.Zhang 7+2ast, Z.Yuqian 4+3reb+3ast
Sichuan: E.Cambage 28+4reb+1ast, K.Hillsman 19+7reb+1ast, L.Yuan 12+1reb+4ast, X.Tong 10+5reb+4ast, C.Tang 6+1reb+1ast, S.Wang 6+3reb+2ast

Jiangsu - Wuhan 77-74

Important game to mention about took place in Nanjing. Fifth ranked Jiangsu (10-5) saved a 3-point victory at home edging 7th ranked hengfan (7-8) 77-74 on Monday evening. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of hengfan. Jiangsu had a 14-3 advantage in offensive rebounds. It was a great evening for American center Jillian Alleyne (190-1994, college: Oregon) who led her team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 12 rebounds. Center Xu Chenyan (200-1999) helped adding 25 points and 6 rebounds. The best for the losing side was American center Olivia Nelson-Ododa (196-2000, college: UConn) with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists and the other American import power forward Peyton Williams (193-1998, college: Kansas St.) produced a double-double by scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds. Four Wuhan players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Jiangsu moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Shandong. Wuhan at the other side keeps the seventh position with eight games lost. They share it with Xinjiang. Jiangsu will play against Xinjiang (#8) in Urumqi in the next round. Wuhan will play at home against Shandong and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Wuhan: N.Olivia 17+8reb+4ast, J.Wang 15+1reb+7ast, W.Peyton 14+10reb+2ast, Y.Ding 13+2reb+2ast, H.Peng 6+3reb+1ast, K.Ezinne 5+1reb
Jiangsu: J.Alleyne 25+12reb+2ast, X.Chenyan 25+6reb, J.Jones 8+1reb+3ast, W.Mengjie 7+4reb, H.Xinyan 4+5reb+2ast, Z.Huang 3+5reb+5ast

Xiamen - Hefei 78-91

There was no surprise when 3rd placed Xiamen (9-6) lost at home to first ranked Hefei (13-2) 91-78 on Tuesday. Hefei made 16-of-17 free shots (94.1 percent) during the game. It was an exceptional evening for American guard Jaime Nared (188-1995, college: Tennessee) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 12 rebounds. Forward Zhang Min (178-1999) accounted for 11 points and 8 rebounds for the winning side. American-Jordanian guard Aisha Sheppard (175-1998, college: Virginia Tech) came up with 28 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists and Lai Tingyi (184-1963) added 15 points and 4 assists respectively for Xiamen in the defeat. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the tenth consecutive win for Hefei. They maintain first place with 13-2 record. Loser Xiamen keeps the third position with six games lost. Hefei will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Xiamen will play again against the league's leader Hefei and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Xiamen: S.Aisha 28+8reb+6ast, T.Lai 15+3reb+4ast, C.Shelby 12+4reb+1ast, C.Yafei 10+3reb+1ast, S.Peng 7+8reb+2ast, Y.Li 3+4reb+2ast
Hefei: J.Nared 24+12reb+3ast, D.Johnson 15+4reb, P.Kyei 14+4reb+2ast, Z.Min 11+8reb+3ast, Y.Li 9+3reb+1ast, X.Zhongyi 9+3reb+1ast