Inner Mongolia overcame a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to rally past Sichuan 95-89 in overtime, moving one win away from the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) league title on Tuesday.
Li Meng (L) of Sichuan breaks through during Game 3 of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) league Finals between Sichuan and Inner Mongolia in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Xi)
Inner Mongolia center Jonquel Jones fully unleashed her firepower, finishing with a game-high 47 points on 13-of-20 shooting and 19-of-25 free throws. As the only other Inner Mongolia player to hit double digits, Li Yuan scored 18 points.
Sichuan center Elizabeth Cambage, who averaged 25.5 points and 9.5 rebounds over the past two matches in the finals, was suspended after being ejected last match due to two unsportsmanlike fouls.
Despite her absence, Sichuan managed to build a 30-23 lead after the first quarter.
Going up 50-46 at halftime, Sichuan outscored Inner Mongolia 20-9 in the third quarter to extend its margin to 15 points heading into the final frame.
Inner used an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to six points, but Gao Song soon steadied Sichuan with a layup. Li Yuan and veteran Sun Mengran made consecutive layups with less than one minute remaining, helping Inner Mongolia pull within 76-78, and Sichuan's miscue on the next possession handed Inner Mongolia the chance.
After Zhang Ru missed a 3-pointer, Inner Mongolia grabbed the offensive rebound and Jones was fouled. She converted both free throws to level the score at 78-78.
Sichuan guard Li Shuangfei penetrated for a layup with 3.5 seconds remaining, while Zhang's inbound pass fed Jones for an alley-oop with 2.4 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Jones continued her scoring output in overtime, with her consecutive free throws and Li Yuan's floater helping Inner Mongolia escape with a nail-biting win.
Chinese international trio of Li Meng, Han Xu and Wang Siyu combined 66 points for Sichuan, who nevertheless suffered 25 turnovers, compared to Inner Mongolia's 13.
Sichuan continues to host Inner Mongolia in Game 4 on Friday.
