CHN – Heilongjiang keep play-off hopes alive

BEIJING (WCBA) - With Shenyang having already clinched the regular season crown the previous week and all other top teams playing true to form, Heilongjiang’s 96-90 home win against Yunnan became the most significant result of Round 22 – the concluding round of the Regular Season – in the WCBA on Saturday.

Ji Yanyan (pictured) was the star in Heilongjiang’s win, pouring 34 points, collecting 10 rebounds and handing out four assists while Gao Song contributed 24 points and seven boards.

The defeat didn’t affect sixth-place Yunnan’s progress to the playoffs, but the victory gave Heilongjiang another opportunity to clinch the eighth spot in the standings and thus advancing to the post-season.

Heilongjiang have one more game – on the road against Zhejiang Far East, which had been postponed earlier in the season.

A win in that game will put Heilongjiang on par with Beijing (9-13), but the former will be ranked higher due to the better head-to-head goal difference.

Heilongjiang had won the away game against Beijing 82-74, but lost only 90-86 at home for an overall score advantage of 168-164.

Zhejiang, though, have nothing to worry about having already clinched their place in the playoffs despite a 90-83 loss to Jiangsu on Saturday.

For the record, Heilongjiang had beaten Zhejiang 88-80 earlier in the season.

Meanwhile, Fujian became the first team in WCBA history to finish the regular season without a win having lost all their 22 games.

WCBA Round 22 (End of regular season; home team first): Bayi 71 Beijing 61; Jiangsu 90 Zhejiang 83; Fujian 73 Guangdong 99; Liaoning 71 Shanghai 65; Heilongjiang 96 Yunnan 90; Shenyang 70 Henan 62.

WCBA Standings
1. Shenyang Golden Lions 19-3+
2. Guangdong Dolphins 17-5+
3. Bayi Kylin 16-6+
4. Liaoning Hengye 14-8+
5. Jiangsu Phoenix 14-8+
6. Qujing Yunnan 10-12+
7. Zhejiang Far East 10-11+
8. Beijing Great Wall 9-13
9. Henan Elephants 8-14*
10. Heilongjiang Chenneng 8-13
11. Shanghai Octopus 6-16*
12. Fujian Nanan 0-22*
+denotes qualified for playoffs
*denotes eliminated from playoffs

FIBA Asia