THE 2023 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup could not have finished in more dramatic fashion, with China claiming the gold medal after downing Japan in a two-point thriller in Sydney on Sunday.

The two best sides of the tournament locked horns in a highly anticipated clash to decided the tournament’s winner, with China looking to dethrone the reigning champions. Japan was gunning for its sixth consecutive title, and brought plenty of big game experience to the table, having been in the same position for the better part of the last decade.

The two sides were evenly matched in the first quarter, both getting into their offensive rhythms as they traded baskets in an entertaining start to the game. Although the defensive efforts were there, the class of both China and Japan was on full display to kick off the biggest game of the tournament, and proceedings were tied at 17 apiece at the first change of play.

Japan’s big game experience came to the fore in the second term, not giving the opposition much offensively as it suffocated China’s scoring opportunities. It was a dominant close to the quarter from the reigning champions, who scored the final 14 points of the period to storm to a nine-point lead at half-time, leaving China with a fair bit of work to do in the second half.

The game was slowly slipping out of China’s grip heading into the third quarter, but it came out firing after halftime. It got its best players involved and suddenly started to erase the deficit and get back into the game. It was a much improved effort and China looked like a different side, getting the margin down to just three points heading into the last.

The fourth quarter was as tense as they come, as the sold out crowd found themselves on the edge of their seats as the lead changed hands on a number of occasions. Japan’s shot selection ultimately cost it as China delivered in crunch time, sneaking to a two-point lead in the dying stages. The opposition had the opportunity to answer, but China’s defence held strong to claim the most important win.

It was an outstanding performance from China’s star big Xu Han, who capped off a terrific tournament with a remarkable showing in the biggest game of all. She posted a whopping 26 points (a splendid feat given her side posted 73 points for the match) on 12/17 shooting from the field. China’s defence simply had no answer for her dominance inside the paint, and she was even able to cash in from behind the arc with a pair of triples.

The frontcourt gun also produced a crucial 10 rebounds, using her size to get first hands on the ball and help China regain control after Japan broke out to a significant lead.