CHN / JPN / IND - Unbeaten China, Japan enter final; book ticket to France

PUNE (FIBA Asia U16 Women Championship) - China and Japan, two teams yet to taste defeat, entered the gold medal round with semifinal victories that were dominating in score-lines, but with a slight contrast in manner at the Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex on Saturday.

China played a dominating first quarter and rode on it to decimate Korea 110-42 after Japan had overcome a feisty first quarter performance by their rivals to beat Chinese Taipei 79-49.

These wins, the sixth in as many days in as many games for both China and Korea, along with giving them a shot at becoming the first FIBA Asia U16 champions among women also booked their berth to the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship scheduled to be held in France.

SUNDAY'S SCHEDULE
1000: 7-8 Place: Philippines vs. Malaysia
1200: 5-6 Place: India vs. Thailand
1400: Bronze Medal: Chinese Taipei vs. Korea
1600: FINAL: Japan vs. China
Note: All timings Pune local time (GMT+5:30 Hrs)

The Great Chinese Rampage

China were in a destructive mood right from the word go.

Having been tested by Chinese Taipei in their final Group A game, Wang Guizhi's girls left nothing to chance against their crafty rivals.

Yu Dong was the conductor of the Chinese harmonious offensive opera on this day.

The 193cm centre, who had played a subdued role in all the previous games took charge of the proceedings.

Yu, who plays for the Guangdong Youth team in China, went on a nine-point rampage that included a three-point play as China unleashed a 13-0 run midway through the first quarter that effectively took the wind off the Korean sails.

Thereafter it was only a matter of time before China booked their place in the final and on the flight to France.

Yu, who started a game for the first time in the Championship, went on to pick a double-double - 21 points and 11 rebounds, both game-highs.

Yujin Jeong with nine points was the highest scorer for Korea.

Negishi does the star turn

Taipei, like they had in their Group A game against China played with pluck in the early part of the first semifinal. But again, like the game against China, Taipei faltered when push came to shove.

Point guard Rina Hill's 10-point contribution kept the Japanese ahead at the end of the first quarter, but the Taipei threat wasn't warded off completely.

Lin Yu-ting led an all-round scoring effort for her team to keep Taipei hopes alive.

Japan coach Hayashi Shinichiro inducted Yume Negishi midway through the second quarter and the effect was immediate.

The 174cm guard sank a three-pointer and followed it up with a drive-in as Japan posted a 7-0 run to close the first half 37-28.

Naoko Chikahira, who scored seven points in the second quarter, scored back-to-back on the paint and Moeko Nagaoka drove-in as Japan scored the first six points of the third quarter to strengthen their grip on the game.

A grip that only firmer for the remainder of the game.

Negishi's influence on the game as she went on to finish with a 71% field record (5/7), including the twin successes in three attempts in three-pointers, in her 13 points. Negishi also effected five blocks apart from collecting four rebounds.

Chikahira topped the scoring for the game with 14 points as Shinichiro played an all-bench game for the final five minutes.

Hong Kong pip Kazakhs at the post

Hong Kong lived a feline life before pipping Kazakhstan at the post 65-64 in the ninth place play-off.

The two were locked 59-59 with about five minutes left on the clock.

Hong Kong moved up 63-59 and maintained it to 65-61, but Natalya Popova sunk a crisp three-pointer to bring Kazakhstan back into the game.

Ka Yee Wong missed both her attempts from the foul-line thus enhancing Kazakhs' hopes with about 20 seconds left.

But Darya Li committed a double-dribble, Olessya Kanaikina's drive-in bounced off the rim and Popova turned the ball over sending it out of bounds.

And Kazakshstan were left losing a game by the closest margin in the Championship - for all games that is.

Singapore avoid wooden spoon

Singapore scored their first win in the Championship via a 57-46 verdict over Sri Lanka and finished 11th, thus avoiding the wooden spoon.

Tok Hui Min led the scoring for the game with 18 points and Violet Chua chipped in with 11 points for Singapore, who had lost all their five games in Group B Preliminary Round.

Dona Rajapakse with 16 points was the highest scorer for Sri Lanka, who finished the Championship without a win.

Scores

Semifinals

Japan 79 (Naoko Chikahira 14, Yume Negishi 13, Moeko Nagaoka 13, Rina Hill 13, Yuki Miyazawa 11) bt Chinese Taipei 49 (Huang Hsiang-ting 10). Quarterwise Scores: 19-16, 37-28, 56-38.

China 110 (Yu Dong 21, Sun Mengxin 18, Yang Xi 15, Shen Yi 14, Li Meng 11) bt Korea 42. Quarterwise Scores: 26-13, 53-26, 84-33.

For 9th place

Hong Kong 65 (Wong Ka Yee 19, Wong Man Sze 11) bt Kazakhstan 64 (Olessya Kanaikina 14, Natalya Popova 13, Dinara Moldakhmetova 12, Darya Li 12). Quarterwise Scores: 22-15, 30-33, 49-53.

For 11th place

Singapore 57 (Tok Hui Min 18, Violet Chua 11) bt Sri Lanka 46 (Dona Rajapakse 16, Himansani Premadasa 10). Quarterwise Scores: 17-10, 32-25, 46-33.

S Mageshwaran
FIBA Asia