Twin towers combine for 36 pts as China crush S. Korea

Han Xu and Zhang Ziyu combined for 36 points to lead defending champion China to a 91-69 victory over South Korea in a Group B match at the 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup on Tuesday.

Both teams struggled to find their rhythm offensively in the first half. China missed several early chances under the rim, with Li Yuan, Luo Xinyu and Han all misfiring in the paint. South Korea also failed to capitalize on multiple wide-open opportunities, and the game remained scoreless for nearly two minutes before Park Ji-hyun broke the drought with a basket.

Han Xu (L top) of China goes for a layup during the Group A match between China and South Korea at the FIBA Women's Asia Cup Division A 2025 in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, July 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

With the Chinese squad slow to settle, 23-year-old forward Luo stepped up with several key offensive rebounds and flashy dishes. 18-year-old Zhang, who stands 226cm tall, entered midway through the first quarter and remained a dominant presence in the paint, although South Korea targeted her lack of mobility on offense. An He-ji nailed a stunning long-range buzzer-beater to cut China's lead to just three points at the end of the first period.

In the second quarter, South Korea suffered a scare when veteran center Park Ji-su sustained a shoulder injury while defending Zhang. She was forced to the bench but returned for the second half after treatment.

China made a crucial tactical adjustment after the break, unveiling the twin-tower lineup of Han and Zhang for the first time in the tournament. The move paid immediate dividends, as the two centers scored in quick succession to extend China's lead to double digits. South Korea kept the margin within striking distance thanks to a flurry of three-pointers, hovering around a 10-point gap.

In the final three minutes of the third quarter, China switched to a small-ball lineup with no traditional center. The pace picked up, and sharp drives by Jia Saiqi and Wang Siyu helped China take a 17-point cushion into the final quarter.

China's shooting behind the arc, which had been cold through the first three quarters (1-of-12), finally warmed up in the fourth. Huang Sijing, Yang Liwei and Zhai Ruoyun knocked down timely triples, stretching the lead. Meanwhile, South Korea struggled with fatigue down the stretch, and several smart cuts failed to produce points.

As the clock ran out, China secured a 91-69 win to remain unbeaten in the group stage.

Han and Zhang each scored a team-high 18 points for China, with Han also grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds. For South Korea, Choi I-saem hit four three-pointers to lead her team with 16 points, while An He-ji added 15.

"This was the most crucial game of the group stage, and we did a lot of preparation for it," said China's head coach Gong Luming at the post-game press conference.

"Our young team was eager to perform well, but they were a bit anxious at the start and didn't play up to their usual level," he noted, adding, "But on the defensive end, the players gave good effort."

Speaking about the two key lineup adjustments in the game, Gong said the twin-tower combination of Han and Zhang was effective on offense, but also admitted it had defensive drawbacks.

"The twin-tower hasn't been used much in practice. We hope to build better chemistry between them through real-game experience - it will be an important option for us in the future," Gong explained.

He also emphasized that China can't rely solely on its advantage in the paint, so he used a smaller lineup at times, aiming for faster transitions and quick scoring after securing rebounds.