Top contenders Australia, Japan and China along with South Korea made their way into the semifinals of the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup and qualified for the 2018 Women’s World Cup in Spain.
In the quarterfinals at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium here on Thursday, the Aussies powered past North Korea 81-48. The Opals will play South Korea in the last-four on Friday.
Forward Alanna Smith stole the limelight for the Aussies. Smith top-scored for the team with 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds while power forward Sara Blicavs, putting her vast experience to good use, contributed with 13. Small forward Stephanie Cumming also added 11 points.
For North Korea, Ro Suk Yung, who has been in scintillating form, scored a game-high 22 points.
The Opals set the pace, opening up a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter with forward Kelsey Griffin and Smith notching up early points. However, the Koreans, riding on the brilliance of Suk Yong, fought back to reduce the deficit to 8-11. Guard Katie-Rae Ebzery and Cumming, then impressed from distance pocketing three-pointers to further stretch the lead for Australia, who claimed the quarter 28-12.
Suk Yong, waging the lone battle for North Korea, tried her best to inspire her team-mates but the Aussies kept the scoreboard ticking through Smith, Blicavs and guard Madeleine Garrick. Australia led 49-23 at half-time.
The Koreans came back strongly after the break and outscored Australia 12-11 but the Opals stayed ahead 60-35 at the end of the third quarter.
The final 10 minutes saw Australia score 21 points to clinch the quarter and with it the game.
Earlier, New Zealand’s charge for the title was cut short by a resilient South Korea 49-64.
Meanwhile China, under the watchful eyes of their CBA chief and former NBA All-star Yao Ming, routed Philippines 117-43 to enter the semifinal.
Centre Li Yueru led with 17 points for China and forward Sijing Huang added 15 while forward Afril Bernardino (11) got into double figures for Philippines.
China next face Japan, who overcame Chinese Taipei 73-57 in a tough battle.
India in semis
Hosts India made short work of Fiji in a 93-51 win to advance to the last four in Division B.
Skipper Anitha Paul Durai top-scored for India with 19 points while Grima Merlin Varghese added 15 points.
India will take on Lebanon for a spot in the final. Lebanon brushed aside Sri Lanka 86-37.
Results (All quarterfinals): Division A: New Zealand: 49 (Jillian Harmon 13, Micaela Cocks 11, Antonia Edmondson 11) lt to South Korea: 64 (Jisu Park 19, Lim Yung Hui 14, Joo Yeong Kwak 11); China: 117 ( Li Yueru 19, Huang Sijing 15, Li Meng 12, Shao Ting 12, Sun Mengran 12, Gao Song 10) bt Philippines: 43 (Afril Bernardino 11, Camille Sambile 10); Australia: 81 (Alanna Smith 20, Sara Blicavs 13, Stephanie Cumming 11) bt North Korea: 48 (Ro Suk Yung 22); Japan: 73 (Moeko Nagaoka 28, Saki Mizushima 11, Maki Takada 10) bt Chinese Taipei: 57 (Jen Huang Ping 17).
Division B: Uzbekistan: 84 (Natalya Koneva 26, Elena Khusnitdinova 19, Anastasiya Sevastyanova 16) bt Singapore: 79 (Jia Min Lim 18, Jacqueline Chu 13, Cheryl Poon 13, Yukie Yoshida 12); Lebanon: 86 (Lama Moukaddem 16, Nancy Maalouf 14, Narine Gyokchian 13) bt Sri Lanka: 37 (Nadeeshani Kumarine Silva 17); India: 93 (Anitha Paul Durai 19, Grima Merlin Varghese 15, Poonam Chaturvedi 10, Rajaganapathi Rajapriyadarshi 10) bt Fiji: 51.
On Friday: Semifinals: Division A: Australia vs South Korea; China vs Japan.
Division B: India vs Lebanon; Kazakhstan vs Uzbekistan.
Published 27 July 2017, 18:58 IST