Japan, China set up Asia Cup Women final

China makes it to the final.

Japan and China won their respective semifinal matches at the FIBA Asia Cup for Women on Saturday, setting up an interesting final involving two titans.

Japan secured their spot with a 67-65 victory over Australia, doing so with some added drama.

The defending champions were trailing 62-56 with less than four minutes left, before a 9-0 run allowed them to take a 65-62 lead. Sami Whitcomb tied it with a three with 2:18 left, but that was the last points the Opals would score.

Himawari Akaho's bucket with 118 seconds remaining allowed the Olympics silver medalists to retake the lead, then sealed the victory with a rejection of Whitcomb's game-winning attempt with four seconds left.

Akaho finished with an all-around performance of twelve points, six rebounds, two assists, three steals and three blocks. Saki Hayashi led all scorers with seventeen points.

Whitcomb finished with a team-high sixteen points, with Lauren Scherf contributing a double-double with twelve points and fifteen rebounds.

Standing in the way of Japan and a fifth straight title is China, which dispatched Korea, 93-69.

China decided to impose its will against their East Asian rivals, jumping out to a 23-9 lead and never looked back to coast their way to the finals.

Yueri Li finished with a twenty-point and twelve-rebound double-double, with Sijin Huang adding sixteen points.

Inyoung Yang led Korea with twelve points.

In the last game of the triple-header, New Zealand defeated Chinese-Taipei, 74-59, to finish in fifth place. Penina Davidson led the way for the Tall Ferns with a game-high 26 points.