Chen Xiaoli grabbed 24 points and four rebounds to lead the north team past south 117-99, winning the title of the fifth WCBA all-star game in Jiyuan on Tuesday.

Tipped as a fast horse, Chen nailed the first six points and ignited their team spirit at the second half by dishing out two assists in the third quarter as the south try to fight back.

The north team took the command from the very beginning to lead 26-23 in the first quarter, and extended its lead to 61-41 by the end of the first half.

Inspired by Asian number one center Chen Nan, the south fought back from the third quarter and cut the deficit to 84-70 by the end of the third quarter.

Zhang Lin contributed 16 points and six rebounds to the north team, While Bian Lan led south with 17 points and two rebounds.

Based on her excellent performance during the game, Chen was awarded the MVP (most valuable player) of the game.

Jiang Xu of Shenyang team beat Yang Bo of Jiangsu 20-13 to win the three-point shootout.

In a related development, the women's national team also announced its roster after the conclusion of the WCBA season.

Ye Li, NBA team Huston Rockets center Yao Ming's girlfriend, is on the list despite being out of competitions all season due to injury.

The national team will begin to rally on Friday to prepare for the World Championships in September. China is grouped with US, Russia and Nigeria.

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2006)