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China advances to knockout round despite loss

(Xinhua/Agencies)
Updated: 2010-09-03 09:38
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ANKARA - Charles Abouo scored 19 points to lead Cote d'Ivoire to an 88-79 win over Puerto Rico here on Thursday at the basketball world championship in group C, sending China to the knockout round on a three-team tiebreaker.

 

China advances to knockout round despite loss
Ivory Coast's Mamadou Lamizana (R) blocks Puerto Rico's Nathan Peavy during their FIBA Basketball World Championship game in Ankara September 2, 2010. [Agencies]

Cote d'Ivoire head coach Coast Randoald Dessarzin said Thursday that he was quitting although it was a difficult situation.

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"I will never forget this game," Dessarzin told a press conference.

Cote d'Ivoire player Muhamed Kone said they were supposed to win by 12 points, but failed to do so, adding it's a good experience for the players and they would do their best to be successful in the future.

Puerto Rico's deputy coach Omar Gonzalez said the team could not concentrate on the game at the beginning, and said the game was a good victory for Cote d'Ivoire but a saddening result for Puerto Rico.

Turkey beats China 87-40

Oguz Savas scored 20 points as host Turkey trounced China 87-40 on Thursday in its final group game at the world championship.

 

China advances to knockout round despite loss
Turkey's Omer Asik (L) slam dunks over China's Zhang Zhaoxu during their FIBA Basketball World Championship game in Ankara September 2, 2010. [Agencies]

Turkey, which had already won Group C, had a 20-0 scoring run to lead 39-13 at the break. Omer Asik's slam-dunk gave Turkey a 41-point lead in the final seconds of the third quarter. Semih Erden widened the gap to 47 points with 50 seconds to go at the end of the last quarter.

Turkey (5-0) plays the fourth-place New Zealand of Group D in the knockout stage in Istanbul.

China (1-4) reached the next round in Istanbul on points differential ahead of Ivory Coast and Puerto Rico. Russia (4-1) finished second and Greece (3-2) third.

Turkey center Ersan Ilyasova of the Milwaukee Bucks had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Asik had 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Turkey out-rebounded China 44-33 in a game which Turkey scored 24 points from turnovers. Turkey shot 41 percent from the free-throw line, while China missed its only chance.

Sun Yue scored 15 points for China. No other Chinese players hit more than nine points.

The lead changed only once and the teams were level once.