Chengdu Universiade | China beats Japan to take women's basketball gold

Gold medalists Team China (C), silver medalists Team Japan (L) and bronze medalists Team Finland attend the awarding ceremony for women's basketball at the 31st FISU Summer World University Games in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

CHENGDU, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- China beat Japan 99-91 to take the women's basketball gold medal at the Chengdu Universiade here on Saturday, for its third crown of the kind.

Zhang Jingyi scored 21 points to lead China's box score, and Song Kexin added 20 points. Center Han Xu almost delivered a triple double of 18 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

For Japan, Maho Hayashi scored a team-high 14 points, and Miyu Okamoto added 13.

China dominated the game in the paint as they out-rebounded Japan 51-25, with the three centers having excellent games.

Tang Ziting hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter to give China an early lead, Liu Yutong, who stands 201cm tall, was lethal in the paint, and Han was more involved in China's ball rotation, with a couple of passes dished out by the 207cm axis being converted into points.

Japan was resilient, forcing several turnovers from China and scoring from coast to coast. Forward Okamoto and Hayashi showed off their range as the duo combined for eight 3-pointers from 15 attempts.

Even though Japan kept hitting difficult 3-pointers, Han and Zhang took control of the game in the fourth quarter, and helped China close out the win.

China coach Li Sunnan praised his squad's efforts. "Except for Zhang Jingyi, all other players are student-athletes on campus. They have to balance their studies while also performing well in the game, which is challenging."

Unbeaten hosts China defeated Portugal and Poland with an accumulated points difference of 43 in the preliminary Group D. They then cruised past Brazil and Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinal and semifinal respectively.

Also on Saturday, Finland narrowly defeated Chinese Taipei 56-49 to take the bronze. Hungary beat Poland 64-52 in the 5th-6th playoff, and the Czech Republic nosed out Brazil 79-74 in the 7th-8th playoff.