Dongguan Defeats Sichuan, Advancing to One Victory from WCBA Championship
Dongguan is just one victory away from claiming the Women's Chinese Basketball Association title after securing a 90-83 road win against reigning champions Sichuan on Tuesday. In their first finals appearance in six years, Dongguan displayed...
TroibNews 
Dongguan is just one victory away from claiming the Women's Chinese Basketball Association title after securing a 90-83 road win against reigning champions Sichuan on Tuesday.
In their first finals appearance in six years, Dongguan displayed a well-rounded offensive effort, with five players scoring in double figures. Yang Shuyu led the team with 23 points, while Yang Liwei and Aliyah Collier contributed 20 and 18 points, respectively.
Similar to their previous matchup three days earlier, Sichuan struggled in the fourth quarter, getting outscored 20-14. “We rushed, we panicked, and we worked for them,” commented Sichuan coach Milos Paden.
Dongguan began the scoring with a fast break layup from Yang Liwei, but Sichuan quickly countered with consecutive points in the paint from Elizabeth Cambage and Jonquel Jones. The trio of Jones, Cambage, and Li Meng accounted for all of Sichuan's points in the first quarter, resulting in a 24-24 tie.
The two teams remained knotted at 44-44 at halftime, but Dongguan regained a slight edge entering the final quarter thanks to Yang Liwei’s buzzer-beating three-pointer.
Midway through the last period, Dongguan surged ahead by 11 points after a layup and fortified their lead with solid defense to secure the victory.
“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 added 10 points to the scoreboard. “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 was the standout performer, shooting 13 of 17 from the field for a total of 31 points. Cambage and Li chipped in with 16 points each; however, they were the only three players from Sichuan to reach double figures in scoring.
“One team looks like a team, and one team looks like individuals,” Jones stated. “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 take place on Sichuan's home court on Thursday.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
In their first finals appearance in six years, Dongguan displayed a well-rounded offensive effort, with five players scoring in double figures. Yang Shuyu led the team with 23 points, while Yang Liwei and Aliyah Collier contributed 20 and 18 points, respectively.
Similar to their previous matchup three days earlier, Sichuan struggled in the fourth quarter, getting outscored 20-14. “We rushed, we panicked, and we worked for them,” commented Sichuan coach Milos Paden.
Dongguan began the scoring with a fast break layup from Yang Liwei, but Sichuan quickly countered with consecutive points in the paint from Elizabeth Cambage and Jonquel Jones. The trio of Jones, Cambage, and Li Meng accounted for all of Sichuan's points in the first quarter, resulting in a 24-24 tie.
The two teams remained knotted at 44-44 at halftime, but Dongguan regained a slight edge entering the final quarter thanks to Yang Liwei’s buzzer-beating three-pointer.
Midway through the last period, Dongguan surged ahead by 11 points after a layup and fortified their lead with solid defense to secure the victory.
“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 added 10 points to the scoreboard. “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 was the standout performer, shooting 13 of 17 from the field for a total of 31 points. Cambage and Li chipped in with 16 points each; however, they were the only three players from Sichuan to reach double figures in scoring.
“One team looks like a team, and one team looks like individuals,” Jones stated. “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 take place on Sichuan's home court on Thursday.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
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