Chen Xiaoli scored 21 points with 12 rebounds as defending champion China downed Taiwan 90-59 for the gold in the Asian Games women's basketball tournament.
China took control of the game in the second quarter, ending the half up 46-33, then added another 28 points in the third quarter.
Taiwan matched China point for point in the fourth quarter, but by then the victory was out of reach.
PHOTO: AP
China captain Miao Lijie added 20 points and Chen Nan had 19 and 10 rebounds.
Lin Hui-mei led Taiwan with 18 points.
"We played our very best tonight," said Miao, who scored an amazing three-pointer from within her own half on the buzzer for the end of the third quarter.
Taiwan was dealt a heavy blow when the tournament's leading scorer, Chiang Feng-chun, was sent to the bench in the opening minutes with three personal fouls.
"We didn't know how to get our offense started," Chiang said. "We will be better in the Asian Cup."
China beat South Korea for the title four years ago in Busan, and won gold in 1982 and 1986.
Earlier in the evening, Japan defeated South Korea 74-70 for the bronze medal, led by Ryoko Utsumi's 24 points. Yuko Oga had 13 points and nine rebounds. Beon Yeon-ha led scoring for South Korea with 22 points, while Kim Kwe-ryong had 21.
In the men's final yesterday afternoon, unbeaten China was due to meet host Qatar.
also see story:
Editorial: Gold, silver, bronze -- and lead
Chinese Men Win Gold
Former Dallas Maverick Wang Zhizhi scored 28 points and led China to a 59-44 win over Qatar in the Asian Games basketball gold medal match.
Yesterday's victory renews China's virtual lock on the title, which it has now won five times since 1986.
The only blemish was a silver at Busan four years ago, when Houston Rockets star Yao Ming was a regular on the team.
Deprived of Yao's presence, China turned to NBA alum Wang to dominate at center and he instantly rose to the occasion, scoring 12 first-quarter points.
Qatar drew within a point early in the second, but the half ended with China ahead 34-25.
Despite again closing to within three points in the third, Qatar was simply unable to neutralize the threat from Wang, who rained in field goals and repeatedly took defenders to the basket.
Wang, returning from the outer after declining invitations for national team duties during his NBA stint, said the young players around him were improving as the tournament progressed.
``Some of our younger players were in such an important game for the first time so they are not familiar with the pressure, but they played better and better,'' Wang said.
Zhu Fangyu added 10 points for China, while 19-year-old NBA prospect Yi Jianlian had eight points and secured a team-high 15 rebounds.
American rugby sevens star Ilona Maher is to join 15-a-side club Bristol next month in a bid to play in next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, the English club announced on Monday. Maher, 28, helped the US to a bronze medal at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris and is the seven-a-side sport’s most popular player on social media. “This is a huge coup to be able to bring Ilona Maher to Bristol Bears on a short-term deal,” Bristol head coach Dave Ward said. “She is one of the biggest names in women’s sport, let alone rugby, and we believe she will
US skier Mikaela Shiffrin said she sustained an abrasion on her left hip and that something “stabbed” her when she crashed during her second run of an Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom race on Saturday, doing a flip and sliding into the protective fencing. Shiffrin stayed down on the edge of the course for quite some time as the ski patrol attended to her. She was taken off the hill on a sled and waved to the cheering crowd before going to a clinic for evaluation. “Not really too much cause for concern at this point, I just
HISTORIC VICTORY: Botafogo are the last of the four big Rio clubs to win the Copa Libertadores and they earned a spot in next year’s FIFA Club World Cup Botafogo on Saturday overcame playing with 10 men to win their first Copa Libertadores title after beating fellow Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro 3-1 in the final at Estadio Monumental. After just 30 seconds, midfielder Gregore, one of Botafogo’s best players, hit the head of Fausto Vera with his foot and was given a straight red card. “It was so hard to have one less so early in a final. It was an unfortunate move,” Botafogo defender Alexander Barboza said. “But Gregore deserves this title as much as we do. We made history and that won’t ever be erased.” Winger Luiz
LeBron James is in quite the shooting slump — especially from long distance, highlighted by his zero-for-four effort from three-point range for the Los Angeles Lakers in their 109-80 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. That return stretched the nearly-40-year-old’s skid to zero-for-19 from deep over his past four games. James’ birthday is on Dec. 30. After going four-for-16 from the floor overall with six of his team’s 20 turnovers for a season-low 10 points against the Timberwolves, James was asked to reflect on the Lakers reaching the quarter mark of their 2024-2025 schedule under rookie coach J.J. Redick at 12-9. “I
RSS