BEIJING (5-15) AT JIANGSU (12-8)

NANJING, China (Interstat) — A struggling Beijing squad looks to snap a four-game skid when it visits a Jiangsu team seeking to regain its footing in a Women’s Chinese Basketball Association matchup Sunday at Nanjing Olympic Sports Center.

Beijing (5-15) enters on the heels of a 91-81 home loss to Hebei on Wednesday. Center Kai James led Beijing with 15 points and eight rebounds in that contest, continuing a stretch of strong individual play. Over her last 10 games, James is averaging 13.7 points and 8.2 rebounds, including a 37-point, 13-rebound performance in a win over Shaanxi on Jan. 10. Her production will be critical for a Beijing offense that has been held under 75 points in six of its last seven losses.

The visitors will need more than James, however, to overcome a Jiangsu (12-8) team that boasts one of the league’s most dominant interior forces. Center Jillian Alleyne is averaging a double-double for the season and comes off a 20-point, seven-rebound, four-assist effort in a narrow 75-73 home loss to Sichuan on Tuesday. Alleyne has recorded a double-double in seven of her last 10 games, including a 26-point, 17-rebound outing in a win over Hebei on Jan. 6.

Jiangsu, which had won three straight prior to the Sichuan defeat, will rely on its defense and rebounding to control the game. The team ranks among the league leaders in defensive efficiency and will look to exploit a Beijing team that has lost nine of its last 11.

The most recent meeting between these teams was a tightly contested affair, with Jiangsu escaping Beijing with a 74-71 victory on Dec. 31. Alleyne was instrumental in that win, while James posted 13 points and five rebounds for Beijing.

For Beijing, finding consistent secondary scoring behind James and guard Zheng Ming (22 points vs. Hebei) is paramount. For Jiangsu, re-establishing its home-court advantage after the disappointing loss to Sichuan is the immediate goal. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. local time.