Team China wins third game against Team Conference USA

(BEIJING, June 1) -- The Chinese men's national basketball team concluded the Sino-American Basketball Classic with their third consecutive win against Team Conference USA by posting a 91-68 final score, thanks to stellar performances from bench players in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, on June 1.

Throughout the game, China's coach Jonas Kazlauskas continued his trial on bench players who surprisingly out-played the NCAA youngsters 55-35 in the first half and eventually blew out their opponents by 23 points by the end of the game. In post-game discussions, he expressed his satisfaction of the team's progress in this series and admitted that their overall performance exceeded his expectations.

Shawn Taggart from the Memphis Tigers led Team Conference USA with 12 points. This young team was noticeably tired after days' of non-stop travelling. "I'd like to thank the CBA and the people of China who have overwhelmed us with their kindness and openness," said head coach John Calipari. "I hope everyone knows that our hearts and prayers go out to all the earthquake victims and their families, and I hope that we were able to bring a little enjoyment into their lives and offer a temporary diversion. We are thinking of all of those affected and hope that better days lie ahead for everyone. This was a goodwill trip for all of us."

At halftime, Chinese intern coach Cui Wanjun, who worked for the University of Memphis throughout the NCAA 2007-08 season, was presented with a 2008 NCAA Final Four ring. "A most precious gift" is how he described it in his acceptance speech.

Former Team China and NBA veteran coach Del Harris also attended the match. For the next few days, Harris will be joined by Calipari to oversee training in China. During the game, he sat next to the Chinese bench in a Team China golf shirt.

The next phase of warm-up matches for the Chinese team will begin in mid June.