On the evening of July 12, the decisive Game 3 of the finals of the inaugural Huaihua Basketball League tipped off to roaring crowds. The Xupu County Team locked horns with the Hecheng District Team in an epic title clash. Boasting solid offensive and defensive prowess, Xupu cruised to an 87-49 victory to claim the league’s inaugural championship, while the Hecheng District Team and High-Tech Zone Team took home silver and bronze medals respectively.
The arena buzzed with electric energy. Hecheng supporters donned blue team jerseys, and Xupu fans sported red ones, filling the stands with a sea of red and blue and thunderous cheers. Right from the opening tip-off of the first quarter, Xupu hit its competitive stride, firing on all cylinders on both ends of the floor. Intense full-court defense stifled the opponents’ offense, while their offense clicked on all cylinders with hot shooting across multiple scorers. Liao Xiangkang, wearing jersey No.15 for Xupu, put up an efficient 10 points in the opening frame, wowing spectators with spectacular dunks and reverse slams. By contrast, Hecheng struggled to find its rhythm on offense and suffered abysmal three-point shooting. They did not register their first points of the game until nearly three minutes in. At the end of the first quarter, Xupu held a commanding 21-7 lead.
Entering the second quarter, Hecheng adjusted its tactics in a timely manner. Player Chen Yang rattled off consecutive points to spearhead a comeback bid, yet the team’s overall offensive efficiency remained low, making it hard to narrow the gap. Xupu maintained blistering outside shooting, sinking three-pointers one after another to stretch its lead to as many as 19 points. The halftime score read 39-18 in Xupu’s favor. Physical intensity stayed high in the second half. Every Hecheng player gritted their teeth and fought tooth and nail, capitalizing on fast-break opportunities to score layups and drain threes in a valiant chase. Xupu, however, controlled the game tempo calmly, playing steady basketball to widen its advantage further. The lead ballooned to a maximum of 40 points in the fourth quarter, putting Xupu firmly in command. They ultimately sealed the championship with a 38-point margin over Hecheng. Throughout the game, Liu Weijiang of Xupu delivered balanced, standout performances on both offense and defense, turning in consistent steals and scoring plays to be named the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).
After the final buzzer, the tournament organizing committee hosted an awards ceremony to present a raft of honors. Mayang Miao Autonomous County, Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County, Huitong County and Tongdao Dong Autonomous County were awarded the Outstanding Venue District Prize. Other accolades, including the Sportsmanship Award, Civilization Award, Outstanding Referee and Outstanding Coach honors, were also conferred to recognize teams, coaches and referees who upheld competition rules and embodied fine sportsmanship throughout the event.
Covering all 13 counties and districts across Huaihua, the inaugural league featured a total of 118 riveting matches, building a premium platform for grassroots mass sports exchanges and competitions citywide. Since the tournament kicked off, delegations from all counties and districts have competed with grit and teamwork, fully showcasing the uplifting, enterprising spirit of Huaihua residents. The league has galvanized extensive fitness-for-all activities at the grassroots level, enriched people’s cultural and recreational lives, and injected robust momentum into the high-quality development of mass sports across the city.
(Translated by Yang Hong)