Giant centre Han Xu sank 26 factors as China surprised five-time defending champion Japan 73-71 Sunday to win its first ladies’s Asia Cup basketball title in additional than a decade.
New York Liberty’s Han additionally made 10 rebounds and two assists at Sydney Olympic Park whereas fellow famous person Li Meng poured in 17 factors at hand world quantity two China’s its twelfth crown and first since 2011.
The victory snapped Japan’s dominance within the match relationship again to Bangkok in 2013 and ended the Tokyo Olympic silver medallist’s dream of creating it six in a row.
No nation aside from Japan, China or South Africa has received the Asia Cup since its inception in 1965.
Hosts Australia took bronze for the third consecutive match after crushing New Zealand 81-59.
Weina Jin scored an early bucket for China however Japan rapidly discovered its stride in an intense first quarter that ended level-pegging at 17-17.
With match MVP Han, who towers 6 toes 10 inches (2.08 metres), main the way in which, China went on a 7-0 run within the second stanza to tug clear, however once more a relentless Japan got here roaring again.
With lightning-fast transition and aggressive defence, Japan went 18-2 to achieve half-time 35-26 in entrance.
China lifted the tempo within the third stanza and edged some extent clear, however Japan weathered the storm to take a 51-48 lead into the house stretch.
But in a nail-biting end, the Chinese held its nerve to triumph in a sport that went to the wire.
All 4 semifinalists within the eight-team competitors secured a spot on the 2024 Paris Olympic qualifying match.
