HAINING, East China, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- China overcame a slow start on Saturday to dominate its opening game at the 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball for Women, trouncing Mali 91-67 in the Olympics warm-up. China's center Chen Nan, who tied with Mali's Djenebou Sissoko to pour in the game-high 24 points, said that the first ever match with Mali "helps the Chinese to spot its own problems before the Olympics."

Thomas Maher, head coach of the Chinese national team, also regarded the game as a way to find solutions to their weaknesses.

"The high-quality match helps us find and solve problems in such important areas as possession of the ball," he told reporters.

Mali stunned the hosts with a flying start, taking a 16-13 lead before China's Sui Feifei hit a three-pointer to tie the score 16-16 and China's 7-0 run put it up 20-18 at the end of first quarter.

The veteran Chinese then prevailed, holding on the lead 35-32 at the end of the second quarter.

Sui Feifei, center of the Chinese team, said they were not quite used to Mali's style at first, but the readjustment worked later.

"We came to terms with the style of the physical Malian team," she said. "It's a great first game."

China went on a charge in the third quarter. With Sui Feifei hitting a three-pointer in the remaining 20 seconds and Zhang Wei's two points in the dying seconds, China extended the lead to double digits, 61-50.

China stayed comfortably with the lead in the fourth quarter and Zhang Wei hit a three-pointer with 38 seconds left to notch the 91-67 win.

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