Nagoya – South Korea found its composure when it mattered most to win the women’s basketball gold at the Asian Games, surviving a huge scare to beat host Japan 75-70 in Saturday’s final. The South Koreans took control of the game early and looked to be cruising towards their fourth Asian Games title and their first since 2014. But Japan, backed by a noisy crowd at the 17,000-capacity Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, roared back to within two points late in the game until South Korea finally saw out the win.
Kang Lee-seul, who scored 21 points for South Korea including three crucial late free throws, said the pressure almost cost them the victory. The South Koreans dominated in the first quarter, building a 15-3 lead to set the tone. They looked comfortable until Japan finished the third quarter strongly and hit a three-pointer right at the buzzer.
Japan then closed the gap further in the fourth quarter, but South Korea held on to get the win over the line. Japan were led by Haru Owaki with 23 points. Every player in South Korea’s squad also featured at the Women’s World Cup in Germany earlier this month, where it lost to the host in the first knockout round.
Japan was also eliminated at the same stage at the World Cup but it brought an entirely different squad to the Asian Games. Japan was looking to win the Asian Games title for the first time since 1998. Japan’s Miyu Okamoto said her team matched South Korea for skill at the start of the game but “we were overwhelmed by their spirit.” “If we had a better start, I think we would have had a much better chance of winning,” she said.
China won the bronze medal, beating Taiwan 77-64.
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