Opals clinch ‘cold war’ clash

By Paul Pickering
DANDENONG Basketball Stadium was buzzing on Friday night as the world champion Australian Opals scrapped their way to a series-deciding 95-88 win over China.
Cars spilt out onto the Dandenong Parklands and Stud Road as the crowd filed into the venue, where it soon became apparent that the third game of the international ‘friendly’ series was going to be anything but friendly.
The Opals were determined to atone for their 2-1 series loss in China earlier this year, while the dogged Chinese, led by star forward Miao Lijie (27 points), seemed content to play the role of the villain.
Rookie guard Nat Hurst (21 points, seven assists) guided the Aussies to a narrow lead in an error-riddled opening term, before Beijing Olympian Rohanee Cox (22 points) took over the game in the second.
Cox scored 12 points in the quarter as the Opals surged to a 46-37 halftime advantage, but the crowd became restless as former Dandenong junior Liz Cambage rode the pine in the first half.
Cambage, who turned 18 during the week, was introduced midway through the third quarter, resuming her battle with Chinese centre Zhang Xiaoni in the paint.
The 203cm Opals rookie hit the scoresheet with a free-throw late in the third and made a lay-up to open the last quarter as Australia took a seemingly insurmountable 22-point lead.
The niggle reached a new level as Chinese frustrations boiled over in the final term, with feisty guard Zhang Hanlan targeting ex-Dandenong WNBL star Jess Bibby.
The physicality ignited the capacity crowd as young Opals fans traded chants with the healthy Chinese contingent. It also sparked the Chinese team, which surged to within seven points in the final minute.
Still, the game was well and truly over when Chinese coach Sun Fengwu, who was animated throughout, called a timeout with half a second remaining, prompting a smattering of boos from Aussie fans.
Opals coach Carrie Graf said the intense atmosphere was a positive for her inexperienced side.
“It got really physical in the last five minutes and a little bit out of control, but I think we regathered ourselves and handed the physicality of international play,” she explained.
“They’re a top four team and they made us better this week, so it’s a really good preparation for next week.”
The Opals will play New Zealand for the FIBA Oceania Championship on 31 August and 2 September.
Friday night’s game concluded a feast of international basketball at Stud Road in August, after Dandenong’s SEABL men hosted American colleges St Mary’s and Vanderbilt University the previous week.