Defending champions Australia overcame China with a decisive 96-79 victory to successfully retain the Federation of International Basketball Associations (FIBA) U18 Women's Asia Cup title on Sunday.
Zhang Ziyu delivered an outstanding performance for China, scoring 42 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Despite her stellar play, four Australian players stepped up by scoring in double digits, securing the trophy and surprising the home fans.
The 17-year-old Zhang was honored as the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP), even though her team fell short in the championship contest. She reflected on the game, saying, \"It was an important game for me. I had regrets, but it was also a good opportunity for me to improve myself. I hope I can do better next time.\"
Australia led the game 49-42 at halftime. After the break, Zhang initiated an 8-0 run that put China ahead. However, Saffron Shiels responded with five consecutive points, allowing Australia to regain the lead. A final 12-0 run in the last quarter sealed the victory for Australia.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
