Ferns thrashed

The Tall Ferns have opened their first ever FIBA Women’s Asia Cup campaign with a 77-48 loss to 11-time champions China in Bangalore, India, on Sunday. China’s success was built on a dominating defensive display highlighted by a 39-21 rebounding advantage. China also converted an efficient 8-from-18 three-point attempts compared with New Zealand’s solitary 1-from-9 from beyond the arc.