World Cup Qualifiers - 19 turnovers! Zhang Ziyu scores 20+11, Li Yueru only 6 points, Chinese women's basketball team loses to Belgium

At 19:30 Beijing time on March 12, in the second round of the Wuhan leg of the 2026 Women's Basketball World Cup qualifiers, the Chinese women's basketball team lost 65-80 to the Belgian women's basketball team, suffering their first defeat in the qualifiers.

Zhang Ziyu

Technical Statistics

China: Zhang Ziyu 20 points 11 rebounds, Han Xu 7 points 6 rebounds 1 assist, Yang Shuyu 7 points 3 rebounds 4 assists 2 steals, Zhang Manman 7 points 5 assists, Li Yueru 6 points 5 rebounds 1 assist, Tang Ziting 6 points 3 rebounds 1 assist, Chen Yujie 6 points 2 rebounds 2 assists, Wang Jiaqi 4 points 4 rebounds 5 assists, Luo Xinyu 2 points 1 assist, Wang Siyu 3 rebounds 3 assists, Chen Mingling 1 rebound.

Belgium: Delaere 27 points 4 rebounds 2 assists 2 steals, Vanloo 14 points 1 rebound 7 assists, Linskens 12 points 4 rebounds 2 assists, Meesseman 10 points 5 rebounds 7 assists 2 steals, Allemand 6 points 8 rebounds 7 assists, Munanga 4 points 3 rebounds 2 steals, Ramette 4 points 1 assist, Mbaka 3 points 2 rebounds 2 assists 2 steals, Billie Massey 1 rebound 1 assist.

Game Recap

In the first quarter, Meesseman opened the scoring for Belgium with a long-range three-pointer, Yang Shuyu broke the deadlock for China with a layup. Vanloo and Delaere hit two consecutive three-pointers, extending Belgium's lead. Li Yueru and Zhang Manman combined for 5 points inside and outside, narrowing China's deficit to 2 points. Belgium scored from both inside and outside, pushing the lead back to 7 points. China missed consecutive shots, Zhang Ziyu was substituted in and scored two points off a rebound inside. Chen Yujie was called for an unsportsmanlike foul for pulling an opponent, Belgium made one of two free throws, Munanga added two more points, and Belgium led 21-11 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, China made substitutions, bringing in Li Yueru, Han Xu, and Yang Shuyu. However, China had many offensive turnovers; Meesseman scored consecutive layups, Vanloo hit a trailing three-pointer, and Belgium's 7-0 run forced a timeout for China. After the timeout, China still couldn't score, Belgium went on a 14-0 run in the quarter to extend their lead to 24 points. After Zhang Ziyu entered the game, she powered through Linskens to finally break China's scoring drought, Yang Shuyu then hit a trailing three-pointer. Zhang Ziyu added two more points with a putback, reducing the deficit to 20 points. Yang Shuyu and Zhang Ziyu combined for an 8-0 run, China closed to 26-40. With Zhang Ziyu scoring on a turnaround shot, Belgium led 42-28 at halftime, Zhang Ziyu had 12 points and 6 rebounds.

In the third quarter, China adjusted again, substituting Zhang Manman, Han Xu, and Wang Siyu. Li Yueru drew a foul on Linskens and made both free throws, then she and Han Xu continuously attacked Belgium's interior, Han Xu also connected from outside, China gradually narrowed the gap. Zhang Ziyu was later substituted in, she easily scored against Linskens, China tied at 41-50, reducing the deficit to 9 points. However, Belgium's Allemand and Mbaka hit two three-pointers, widening the lead again. Nevertheless, China did not give up, Zhang Ziyu and Wang Jiaqi scored through shots and free throws, keeping the deficit around 10 points. Belgium remained steady, and with Ramette hitting a three-pointer, Belgium led 61-45 at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Belgium frequently scored on fast breaks, pushing the lead back to 18 points. Chen Yujie, Zhang Manman, and Tang Ziting scored consecutively, China closed to 51-66, forcing a timeout for Belgium. After the timeout, Delaere hit two consecutive three-pointers, extending the lead to over 20 points. China again substituted Zhang Ziyu, frequently attacking Belgium's interior, Zhang Ziyu and Chen Yujie both scored. However, Belgium's outside shooting remained hot, Delaere hit her sixth three-pointer. With little time remaining, the game was effectively decided. Ultimately, Belgium defeated China 80-65.

Starting Lineups

China: Zhang Manman, Yang Shuyu, Luo Xinyu, Li Yueru, Han Xu

Belgium: Delaere, Linskens, Vanloo, Allemand, Meesseman