Sun Mengran (R) of Inner Mongoloia vies for the ball during Game 1 of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) league Finals between Sichuan and Inner Mongoloia in Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, April 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)

Defending champions Sichuan limited Inner Mongolia to just nine points in the fourth quarter to achieve a 90-85 comeback win in Game 1 of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) league Finals on Thursday.

It was the third consecutive finals featuring the two sides. Led by Jonquel Jones, Inner Mongolia held the lead for almost the entire game, but collapsed in the final period.

Jones led Inner Mongolia with a game-high 29 points and 12 rebounds against Sichuan's star paint duo Han Xu and Elizabeth Cambage, and guard Li Yuan added 16 points and seven assists.

For Sichuan, Han took a team-high 23 points and Cambage added 21 points and 11 rebounds. Backcourt duo Wang Siyu and Li Meng, who were decisive in Sichuan's 29-9 fourth quarter, combined for 30 points and five assists.

Both Sichuan and Inner Mongolia had 34-2 regular-season records to directly enter the quarterfinals, before achieving clean sweeps in the quarterfinals and semifinals to set up their duel.

The WCBA Finals feature a best-of-five format, with Game 2 also taking place on Inner Mongolia's home court on Saturday.

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