Cambage double-double as Zhejiang beats Shanxi in Game 2 of WCBA finals
TAIYUAN, Shanxi province - Australian center Elizabeth Cambage stole the limelight from league scoring champion Maya Moore in Game 2 of the WCBA finals to help Zhejiang tie the best of five series at 1-all on Thursday.
Cambage contributed 45 points and 17 rebounds with another four Zhejiang players scoring double-digit points in their 99-88 victory. Shen Binbin had 14 points, Ji Xiao added 12 points. Bian Lan and Dong Xuemei contributed 11 points apiece.
"After losing last game at home, we were eager to win back. Some domestic players like Shen Binbin and Dong Xuemei had a wonderful performance," said Zhejiang's coach Zheng Wu.
Shanxi's Moore, who pocketed 53 points and 13 rebounds in the first game, was also in hot form with 36 points. Ma Xueya and Yu Dong added 17 points and 15 points respectively.
Ma Xueya opened the game with a jumper for Shanxi, while Moore faced a tough defense from the opponents and cooled in shots, forcing her into the paint field more. After the first quarter, Shanxi trailed by five points.
Shanxi used a 15-2 run to open the second, forcing Zhejiang into a timeout. It worked as the visitors soon cut down the deficit to two points and then jumped to 50-45 ahead into halftime.
After a 66-68 deficit into the final 12 minutes, Shanxi tied the score thanks to Zhang Wei's jumper.
The game turned more heated in the following several minutes. After Moore, dubbed the "Invincible Queen" among Chinese fans, missed out on a free shot with 45 seconds to go, Zhejiang sealed the hard-earned victory.
"Zhejiang's tough defense forced too many turnovers from us. The main problem for our team is a lack of mobility. The finals will not be easy, and we will fully prepare for the next match," said Lucas Mondelo, Shanxi's coach.
Game 3 of the finals will also be held in Shanxi's home on Feb 2.
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