China’s CHBL Elite Team Competes in Exhibition Game in Portland

Today marked history for Benson's Women's Basketball Team as they matched up in an exhibition game against China's CHBL Elite program. This event was put together by many members of the community and organized by Nike and the Sports Federation. China's team will embark on a development journey to Portland and Los Angeles. It was an exciting night in women's basketball.   It's not every day that two countries from around the world can meet face to face and compete at such a high level of competition. The event started with a tour of the newly renovated Benson High School. Benson's team led China's players around the school and showed them some of their favorite classrooms and programs offered at this state-of-the-art trade school. After warm-ups, the players and coaches met at half-court, did a cultural exchange of gifts, and shook hands before the competition began.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/02/IMG_8290.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1741290" style="aspect-ratio:1.336846066992849;width:463px;height:auto"/></figure>     After the gift exchange, it was time for the competition to begin. From the jump, it was off to the races. Both teams proved to be fast and aggressive on the court. China stood tall with the majority of its players over 6'0 tall. Some reach as tall as 6'8 and 6'7 in height. Both teams shot the ball well and were very aggressive on defense. While Benson led the 1st quarter with an impressive start, by the 3rd quarter the game was tied 41-41. It was definitely an impressive battle and a physical match-up of a lot of effort and heart. Each team was trading bucket for bucket down the stretch. In the end, China won by 9 points.   Now let's meet some of tonight's standout performances.          Sun Ruiyang earned MVP of the exhibition game scoring 20 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. She had an impressive shot from long range and was a true leader out on the floor. She ran point guard for China and was very quick on both ends of the court. She demonstrated to be a leader by being vocal and running the plays.   When interviewing Sun, she said, “it was a fun experience to play a US team and compete against talented players.” She said she was “impressed by how good Benson was and how fast we could run out on the floor.”     Xu Mengyi is a 17 yr old Senior for China's CHBL Elite. Standing 6'1 as a combo guard. In tonight's match up, Xu played an impressive game and had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.  Her and her teammate Sun Ruiyang, really worked hard on the court together. They lead their team throughout the game.  It was their speed and talented shooting on offense that created a dynamic duo mentality during the game.    After the game, Mengyi stated she, “enjoyed coming to Benson and competing against a tough team.” She “liked the energy of the crowd and the kindness of everyone around them.”     [player_tooltip player_id='1013041' first='Kemara' last='Phillips'] lead the way for the Benson Astros tonight with 15 pts, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Kemara's leadership skills as one of her team's point guards truly shined tonight. She was driving to the basket making tough shots and offensive plays. She had a couple of spin moves to the hoop, that China couldn't defend. She knocked down some 3 point shots as well, proving she can be a threat from a distance. She was stealing the ball on defense and getting fast breaks to set up her teammates for a quick bucket in transition. Impressive performance by Benson's young sophomore.   After the game during her interview, Kemara stated, “playing china was such an amazing experience. Seeing talent from other parts of the world is a great opportunity. Not everyone gets to play teams from other countries. We fought hard and got to experience something new!”     [player_tooltip player_id='832599' first='Samarah' last='Massey'] had an impressive game against China CBHL. She had 14 pts, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Samarah has truly risen to every challenge set in front of her and her team this season. She embodies what being a senior and a leader is all about on the court. She isn't afraid to take on contact, sometimes with two or three players at a time, at the rim. She drives with her off hand just as consistently as her dominant.   She can hit a shot from anywhere on the floor and she has dimes when passing the ball. She can really thread the needle and she can anticipate well on defense with steals and blocks. Job well done tonight indeed!   When interviewing Samarah after the game, she said, “ I think what was tough about playing against China, was trying to front their bigs, because we haven't seen that type of height yet.” She also stated she, “enjoyed being able to see how different girls from around the world play and it was a good experience being able to play against them.”

Today marked history for Benson's Women's Basketball Team as they matched up in an exhibition game against China's CHBL Elite program. This event was put together by many members of the community and organized by Nike and the Sports Federation. China's team will embark on a development journey to Portland and Los Angeles. It was an exciting night in women's basketball.