China beats Japan in women's basketball Asia Cup warm-ups

XI'AN, China, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese centers Han Xu and Zhang Ziyu finished double-doubles respectively, helping China win over Japan 101-92 at the Asia Cup warm-up series here on Wednesday.

Han scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Zhang had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and guard Yang Shuyu got 17 points. Japan's Mai Kawai led her team with 13 points.

In 2024, China suffered two defeats consecutively in the warm-ups against Japan in Xi'an. Before today's clash, Chinese player Li Yuan told Xinhua that although Japan missed some of its best players, "we would prepare carefully for the game."

China took a 26-25 lead in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Zhang Ziyu bagged 10 points, bringing the home team a 49-44 lead before the half break.

In the middle of the third quarter, China enjoyed a 10-4 run, extending the lead to 14 points. Japan netted five three-pointers, cutting the deficit to 10 before the final period.

Although Japan narrowed the gap to seven points in the fourth quarter, China regained control with a 9-2 run.

"Japan is actually a team with very prominent characteristics. They move fast and they are good at shooting beyond the arc," said China head coach Gong Luming.

"We showed our advantages in height and strength. What's more, all the players had good performances in offense."

"However, we didn't deal with Japanese three-pointer shooters well. We will do some adjustments in the next game," added Gong.

The two teams will meet again this Friday in Hefei, the capital of eastern China's Anhui Province.