One person carries half the sky! Zhang Ziyu scored 42 points to save the master, and the U18 women's basketball Asian Cup lost to Australia, and tears were shed on the court after the game!
June 30 is destined to be an unforgettable day for Chinese basketball fans. On the stage of the U18 Women's Basketball Asian Cup Final, we witnessed a thrilling match. Although they lost to the Australian team with a score of 79-96, the tenacious fighting spirit and extraordinary potential shown by the Chinese women's basketball players let us see the bright future of the Chinese women's basketball team.
From the start of the game, the Australian team showed great strength. They developed a tight defensive strategy against China's top scorer Zhang Ziyu, making it difficult for the young scoring machine to use his punches for a while. At the same time, the Australian team quickly took the lead in the score with exquisite air cuts and accurate outside threes.
However, the truly strong never give up easily.
In the third quarter of the game, we saw Zhang Ziyu's awakening. In the face of the high-intensity defense of the Australian team, she flexibly used a variety of offensive methods such as secondary attacks and strong inside shots, and led the Chinese team to launch a wave of amazing counterattacks. Under her leadership, the Chinese team once overtook the score, making the game full of suspense again.
However, basketball is a team sport. Although Zhang Ziyu did her best on the court, scoring a staggering 42 points and 14 rebounds, she was unfortunately the only player on the Chinese team to score in double figures. In contrast, Australia's offensive firepower was more balanced, especially their No. 4 Sears, who contributed 30 points, 14 rebounds and five assists to seal the win.
In the fourth quarter of the game, the Chinese team once narrowed the gap to only 4 points. However, the goddess of fate did not favor this group of young girls who were fighting. Captain Wang Jiaxin's crucial mistakes, combined with some hasty moves from the team under pressure, ultimately tilted the balance in Australia's favour. When Zhang Ziyu left the court due to a foul, the Chinese team lost the last chance to fight.
After the game, seeing Zhang Ziyu on the bench in tears, I believe every Chinese fan feels the same way. 26 minutes of playing time, 42 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block all show the young player's extraordinary potential. Although she failed to lift the championship trophy, Zhang Ziyu and teammate Xu Peilin were both selected for the best team, and Zhang Ziyu won the MVP crown of this event, which is undoubtedly the best praise for her outstanding performance.
Looking back on the whole game, it is not difficult to find that the Chinese women's basketball team still has room for improvement in terms of teamwork and pressure resistance. But at the same time, we also see the tenacity and great potential of this young team. Zhang Ziyu's personal ability has reached a very high level, and if the team strength can be further improved, I believe that the Chinese women's basketball team will shine more brightly in the international arena in the future.
For this group of young Chinese women's basketball players, this trip to the U18 Asian Cup is undoubtedly a valuable learning experience. In the competition with the top teams in Asia, they saw their own shortcomings and realized the direction of their efforts. I believe that after the baptism of this competition, they will become more mature and stronger.