CHENGDU, China, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Sichuan Yuanda Merlot defeated defending champions Inner Mongolia Nongxin 71-63 in Game 2 of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) Finals here on Friday, tying the best-of-three series 1-1.
After tip-off, Wang Siyu hit a 3-pointer from the top of the arc, securing the first points for Sichuan. Inner Mongolia fought back with exquisite inside passes, with Li Yueru and Zhang Ru scoring successively from the floor.
Both sides gradually accelerated their pace, with the home team scoring frequently in the paint and forcing Inner Mongolia to call a timeout. Sichuan led Inner Mongolia 40-31 to wrap up the first half.
Coming back from the lockers, Inner Mongolia still couldn't find the form that brought them Game 1 victory.
Following another timeout, Inner Mongolia put together a brilliant offense-defense sequence, with Li Yueru blocking a shot and Chen Liyu hitting a 3-pointer. But Li Meng and Han Xu then stepped in to help Sichuan go into the last period with a 14-point lead.
Sichuan managed to cling onto its lead as Inner Mongolia made several turnovers in the final quarter.
Li Meng scored team-high 22 points and dished out seven assists. Han Xu added 11 points for Sichuan.
On Inner Mongolia's side, Yang Liwei finished with a game-high 24 points, while Li Yueru had a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Game 3 will take place in Chengdu on March 12.
