Dongguan upset Sichuan to move one win away from WCBA title

Dongguan are one win away from the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) title after notching a 90-83 road victory over reigning champions Sichuan on Tuesday.

Making its first finals in six years, Dongguan had a more balanced attack as five players cracked double figures in scoring, with Yang Shuyu leading the way with 23 points. Yang Liwei and Aliyah Collier had 20 and 18 points respectively.

Similar to the first game three days ago, Sichuan fell short in the fourth quarter and were outscored 20-14.

"We rushed, we panicked, and we worked for them," said Sichuan coach Milos Paden.

Yang Liwei opened Dongguan's scoring with a fast break layup, while Sichuan responded through consecutive paint points from Elizabeth Cambage and Jonquel Jones, who, along with Li Meng, combined to score all Sichuan's points in the first quarter as both sides tied at 24-24.

The two teams remained tied 44-44 at halftime, while Dongguan carried a slim one-point lead entering the final frame through Yang Liwei's buzzer-beating three-pointer.

After her layup at the midpoint of the final period, Dongguan extended its lead to 11 points and secured victory with a stout defense.

"I just told my players to enjoy this stage and show their best, and they did, which made me quite proud," said Dongguan coach-player Huang Sijing, who had 10 points. "Facing such a strong opponent as Sichuan, we need to go all out and learn from them. The next game, they are set to make some adjustments, and we need to stick to what we did well."

Jones shot 13 of 17 from the field to lead all scorers with 31 points. Cambage and Li chipped in with 16 points apiece, but they are the only three Sichuan players that managed double-digit scoring.

"One team looks like a team, and one team looks like individuals," Jones said. "The good thing about basketball and the series is that you have another game to be able to fix it, to be able to win, and to be able to change the series."

Game 3 will be held on Sichuan's home court on Thursday.