China downs South Korea, 56-43, in Fiba Asia semis

WUHAN – Yi Jianlian and Wang Zhizhi led China to a 56-43 Asian championship semi-final victory over South Korea Saturday in a low-scoring physical battle that thrilled the homecourt crowd.

In Sunday’s championship game, China will face Jordan, who beat the Philippines 75-61 in the first semi-final match.

Yi and Wang scored 11 of the team’s final 15 points with a range of interior and perimeter shots, while a hustling defence stifled the Korean shooters all night long.

Washington Wizard Yi scored 17 points, while former Dallas Maverick Wang had 15.

The only bright spot for the losers was the play of point guard Yang Dong-Geun who scored 17 points on the night.

At stake in Sunday’s final is Asia’s only automatic berth to the 2012 London Olympics, while the silver and bronze medallists will compete in an Olympic qualifying tournament next year.

China have won 14 Asian basketball championships and represented the region at every Olympiad since 1976.