China outlasts Czechia in overtime thriller
The People's Republic of China secured a vital overtime victory against Czechia, prevailing 74-70 in a fiercely contested FIBA Women's World Cup encounter.
Trailing by eight points at halftime (33-41), China mounted a second-half comeback.
Czechia held a five-point advantage entering the final period (48-53), but China's defensive intensity, which forced 25 turnovers, began to pay dividends. Despite shooting just 44% from the free-throw line, China's relentless rebounding (47-25) and timely scoring, particularly from Xu Han, proved decisive. While Czechia's 15 steals disrupted China's rhythm, they couldn't convert enough opportunities, with China's bench contributing only 8 points compared to Czechia's 14.
Xu Han was the standout performer for China, delivering a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds, alongside 4 assists. Shuyu Yang added 18 points and 5 assists, while Mingling Chen chipped in with 10 points. For Czechia, Eliska Joklova led the scoring with 18 points and 4 steals, complemented by Veronika Vorackova's 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals.
This dramatic overtime win provides a significant momentum boost for China in the tournament.