Australia, China rule 3rd East Asian Games Basketball
Australia proved that its not the worlds 4th ranked team for nothing as it beat China, 105-93, thus winning the 3rd East Asian Games Mens Basketball crown in Osaka, Japan yesterday.
The victory gave Australia its eighth consecutive triumph in as many games for a clean sweep.
In the womens division, China proved its supremacy over Australia winning over the latter anew, 80-75, to wrestle the crown last won by Korea in 1997 during the events second staging in Pusan.
China was the same team that dealt Australia its lone defeat in the Preliminary Round, 79-74.
Final, May 28,
2001 Australia China 105-93 (Maher 20, Melmeth 19+6reb+5ast, Rogers 13, Nielson 13 - Yao Ming 11+8reb+5bl, Wang Zhi-zhi 13Lee Nan 25, Liu Yu-dong 18)
Semi-finals, May 27, 2001 Australia - Taiwan 121-75 (Saville 22+12reb+6ast, McGregor 21 - Yang Yu-min 22, Tien Lei 19+5reb, Chiu Chi-yi 14, Wu Dai-hao 8+9reb) China - Japan 86-69 (Lee Nan 23+8reb, Chang Wen-chi 16, Yao Ming 13+7reb+8bl, Wang Zhi-zhi did not play because of ankle injury - Takuma Watanabe 12)
Day 7, May 25, 2001 Kazakhstan - Mongolia 92-83 (Kazakhstan - Yevgeniv Issakov 19p ; Mongolia - Tserenjanhar Sharavjamts
24) Korea - Japan 88-87 (Kim Dong-woo 19p, Song Young-jun 18p ; Japan - Kazuhiro Shoji 16p, Satoru Furuta 10p+10rb) China - Taiwan 127-91 (China - Liu Yu-dong 23p, Menk Batere 23p+9rb, Yao Ming 19[+14rb ; Yang Yu-min 28p, Chen Hsin-an
20, Tien Lei 17p+6rb)
Day 6, May 24, 2001 Australia - Mongolia 148-81 (Australia - Paul Rogers 22p, Benjamin Knight 19p ; Mongolia - Tserenjanhar Sharavjamts 32p) Taiwan - Korea 94-85 (Taiwan - Tien Lei 19p+10rb, Yang Yu-min 17p, Chiu Chi-yi 17p, Wu Chih-wei 14p+12rb ; Korea - Kim Joo-sung 37p+13rb) China - Japan 96-81 (China - Yao Ming 18p+13rb, Hu Sher-feng 17p+7a+4s ; Japan - Kazuhiro Shoji 12p, Yuki Orihara 12p)
Day 5, May 23, 2001 Korea - Mongolia 91-74 (Korea - Son Gyu-wan 16p, Kim Joo-sung 14p+5rb ; Mongolia - Tserenjanhar Sharavjamts 42p) Australia - Kazakhstan 123-82 (Australia - Matt Nielson 20p on 10-10 shooting, Brett Maher 19p ; Kazakhstan - Andrey Strebkov 22p) Japan - Taiwan 83-78 (Japan - Takuya Kita 21p, Yuki Orihara 19p, Satoru Furuta 17p+18rb ; Taiwan - Chen Hsin-an 25p+7rb+5a, Chen Chih-chung 10p+6a)
Preliminary Games Standings
1 Australia 6-0
2 China 4-2
3 Japan 3-3
4 Taiwan 3-3
5 Korea 3-3
6 Kazakhstan 2-4
7 Mongolia 0-6
Day
4 - May 22, 2001 Taiwan - Mongolia 109-104 (Chen Hsin-an 36p (14-24 FG)+5rb+6a, Tien Lei 20p+15rb, Chiu Chi-yi 26p (10-10 FG), Chen Chih-shung 8p+6a - Tagirvaa Tuvshinbayar 42p, Tserenjanhar Sharavjamts 37p)
Australia - South Korea 120-86 (Paul Rogers 15p, Brett Maher 15 - Hwang Sung-in 26p+8a, Son Gyu-wan 17) China - Kazakhstan 108-105 (Liu Yu-dong 24p, Yao Ming 14p+13rb+7blks, Hu Wei-dong 20 - Vitaliy Strebkov 33)
Day
3 - May 21, 2001 Taiwan - Kazakhstan 84-75 (Chen Hsin-an 35, Tien Lei 6p+19rb, Chiu Chi-yi 15p, Wu Chih-wei 14p - Andrei Shpekht 18)
Taiwan controlled the game after a 30-17 first quarter and made 10 of 19 three-pointers as a team Australia - Japan 92-86 (Paul Rogers 29p+10rb, Benjamin Melmeth 11p+13rb, Brett Maher 19p+5a - Takuya Kita 18p, Yukia Orihara 16p, Kazuhiro Shoji 15p) South Korea - China 100-97 (Kim Joo-sung 28p+7rb+4a, Son Gyu-wan 25p, Hwang Sung-in 17p+11a - Wang Zhi-zhi 38p+7rb+4a, Hu Wei-dong 17p, Yao Ming 8p+7rb)
Day 2 May 20 Sunday Australia Taiwan 107-67 (Paul Rogers 23+12rb ; Benjamin Melmeth 14 - Chen Hsin-an 13 ; Tien Lei 11+6rb)
As expected, the young and inexperienced Taiwan NT was shell-shocked in its international debut, losing to Australia 67-107 in the first preliminary game of East Asia Game in Osaka, Japan. Though totally outplayed by the Australians, Taiwan NT shows some glimpse of the future. 193cm wing guard Chen Hsin-an led with 13 points while incoming college freshman Tien Lei (201cm, F) had 11 points and 6 rebounds in his international competition debut. Tien's fast-break dunk wowed the crowds, even the Australians. Taiwan NT's real game will not begun until today when they face dark horse Kazakhstan, who shocked South Korea earlier and is Taiwan's primary roadblock onto the final four. China - Mongolia 124- 52 (Yao Ming 20+9rb ; Wang Zhi-zhi 16+5rb ; Chang Wen-chi 19 ; Du Feng 17 - Tserenjanhar Sharavjamts 37) Kazakhstan Japan 76-100 (Andrei Shpekht 19p ; Vitaliy Strebkov 21 - Kazuhiro Shoji 20p ; Satoru Furuta 17+9rb)
Day 1 May 19 - Saturday Kazakhstan Korea 121-92 (Andrei Shpekht 31 ; Vitaliy Strebkov 30 - Son Gyu-wan 27) China Australia 77-105 (Yao Ming 18+6rb ; Wang Zhi-zhi 15 - Brett Maher 25 ; Glen Saville 18 ; Darryl McDonald 6+10ast ; Matthew Nielson 15) Japan Mongolia 129-68 (Takuya Kita 27 -)
