China wrapped up their FIBA Women’s Asia Cup campaign at home in dominant fashion, routing South Korea 101-66 in the third-place game on Sunday in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province.
The hosts started strong, firing from long range and keeping a quick pace in transition. Luo Xinyu and Yang Shuyu both hit early three-pointers, propelling China to a 13-2 lead. Coach Gong Luming experimented with various lineups, alternating between a small-ball unit without a center and a twin-tower setup featuring Han Xu and Zhang Ziyu. The strategic adjustments paid off, with China leading 31-14 by the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, guard Wang Siyu took over the offense, repeatedly slicing through South Korea’s defense for layups and drawing fouls. Facing relentless pressure, South Korea struggled to score, relying heavily on mid-range jumpers and drives into the paint by Kang Yoo-lim.
At halftime, China led 58-29. South Korea introduced veteran center Park Ji-su in the third quarter, which helped stabilize their offense. However, China’s Zhang continued to dominate inside, and the home team maintained control throughout the final period.
Wang led all scorers with 19 points, while Zhang contributed 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Luo added 15 points for China. For South Korea, Park finished with a team-high 14 points and eight rebounds, and Choi I-saem added 10 points.
In the championship game, Australia defeated Japan 88-79 to claim the title for the first time at this event.
