"We did a great job tonight. The tough defense of our rivalry caused us lots of troubles in the first half, but we were more concentrated in the second. Although we didn't make many long range shots, we got better on both ends," said Li Nan, the head coach of the Chinese side.

"I didn't realize that our opponents would show such great physical strength before the match. But we stayed patient and took the big opening win," said 26-year-old point guard Guo Ailun.

"Every single game is crucial to us. Poland is a strong team. They are better than Cote d'Ivoire if looked at overall. We need to prepare for more difficulties in the upcoming game," added Li Nan, whose team will play against Poland in the second round of the tournament on Monday.

Other action saw Poland deliver great teamwork in beating Venezuela 80-69 on Saturday. Russia won over Nigeria 82-77 in Group B. Mikhail Kulagin of Russia earned 16 points, and Audrey Zubkov added 12, plus four assists and four rebounds for the winner. Nigeria's Josh Okogie led the game with 18 points.

Puerto Rico came back from 19 points down to win over Iran 83-81 in the opening game of Group C. In Group D, Italy took control of the first quarter to seal a 108-62 victory over the Philippines.

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