Miao leads China to basketball gold

Chinese players look at their gold medals during the awards ceremony for women's basketball at the Asian Games on Thursday. China beat Korea 70-64 to take the gold. Japan claimed the bronze. Liu Jin / Agence France-Presse.[Photo/Agencies]

GUANGZHOU - Star point guard Miao Lijie scored 11 points and dished out six assists to lead China to a 70-64 Asian Games gold medal victory over Korea on Thursday, ahead of her likely retirement.

Miao was helped in the win by her long-time teammate Chen Nan, who scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, as the host team held off a furious late comeback attempt by the Koreans.

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China jumped out to a 13-point lead in the first half, but the Koreans roared back behind the shooting of Beon Yeon-ha to cut the lead to 49-47 near the end of the third quarter.

The Korean would get no closer as the bigger and deeper Chinese team stepped up its defensive pressure and held on for the final victory.

Beon finished with 23 points, while Park Eun-jung had 14 for the loser.

Last week, Miao, 29, again announced plans to retire from the national team following the Asian Games due to lingering injury.

The former Olympian and Women's National Basketball Association player for the Sacramento Monarchs announced plans to retire last year, but was persuaded to stay on because of the experience she brings to the team.