Japan narrowly defeated China 71-68 in the FIBA Women's Asian Cup final in Bengaluru, India on Sunday, winning their fourth title in a row and the fifth in the tournament. Nako Motohashi put down 24 points and eight assists, while Maki Takada contributed 14 points and nine rebounds.
China, with 11 Asian Cup titles under their belt, failed to win the trophy again – their fifth straight failure. Ironically, it was Japan that beat China in both the 2015 and 2017 editions.
Though Chinese players enjoyed height disadvantage, especially under the rim, they failed to use that to help their game as China only led 37-36 in rebounds. By contrast, Japan maximized their edge in speed and agility and forced six more turnovers by China (18-12). Moreover, Japan also buried one more 3-pointer (9-8).
Japan's Maki Takada #8 makes a layup in the FIBA Women's Asia Cup final against China, Bengaluru, India, September 29, 2019. /VCG Photo
It was a close game most of the time. China led by one point (35-34) in the first half but watched Japan take the lead in the third quarter (54-51) via continuous fast breaks. Though China managed to narrow the score difference down to two points (60-58) once in the fourth quarter, Motohashi exploded by claiming five straight points via penetration and a 3-pointer to expand and keep the lead to six points.
China had the chance to create a miracle as Han Xu delivered two blocks in a row and scored two points in the paint with remarkable footwork. After Wu Tongtong sank a 3-pointer in transition, China only trailed by three points (71-68). Nonetheless, though Japan failed to make their last two free throws, China did not make the game-saving 3-pointer, watching Japan win the championship again over their loss.
In the third-place game, which ended earlier in the day, Australia smashed South Korea 98-62.