China’s women battle back to seal first Fiba Asia Cup title in more than 10 years, down Japan in epic final
- Giant centre Han Xu has 26 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists as China win 73-71 in Sydney
- New York Liberty’s superstar helps side win title for 12th time, while denying defending champions sixth straight crown
China fought back to take their first Fiba Women’s Asia Cup title in more than a decade, beating Japan 73-71 in an epic final in Sydney.
Down nine points at half-time against the defending champions, China looked like losing a third final in a row, until a sterling third quarter turned the game on its head.
The giant centre was in typically dominant form, pouring in 26 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to complete the impressive feat of recording a double-double in every game of the tournament.
Han said the journey to becoming champions had not been an easy one for China, but the team had found its chemistry as the tournament progressed.
“For me, I really want to get this championship, I am glad we made it, I just want to thank my coach for having me, I hope that we can win more championships in the future,” she said.