WEINAN, China, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Shaanxi Tianze edged Inner Mongolia 78-75 in its Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) playoffs debut on Friday.

Shaanxi took an early 10-5 lead, but Inner Mongolia stayed within reach despite struggling from beyond the arc, making just one of six three-point attempts in the first quarter. The visitors trailed by two points after the opening period.

Midway through the second quarter, Shaanxi went on a 6-0 run to stretch the lead to nine points. However, Chinese stars Li Yuan and Zhang Ru helped Inner Mongolia regain momentum, with Li finishing an easy layup to tie the game at 43-43 by halftime.

Zhang Ru then sparked a 10-0 run, scoring five consecutive points to lift Inner Mongolia to a 55-48 advantage. Shaanxi responded, cutting the deficit to three points heading into the final quarter.

Inner Mongolia's Kalani Brown was dominant early, scoring 30 points through three quarters, but Shaanxi managed to contain her until she finally scored again with 6:17 remaining.

Shaanxi captain Fang Zhuoya then electrified the home crowd, sinking three consecutive three-pointers to give her team a 76-75 lead with just 60 seconds left. Queen Egbo added two more points before Inner Mongolia's Zhang Qifang missed the final attempt, sealing Shaanxi's victory.

Fang led Shaanxi with 23 points, while Egbo posted a double-double with 21 points and 18 rebounds. Brown recorded a game-high 38 points and 13 rebounds for Inner Mongolia.

"I am proud of my girls. Qualifying for playoffs brought us confidence. Although our rivals are more powerful in the squad, we set many tactics against them and focused on our own strengths. These factors made us get the historical win," said Ji Yanyan, head coach of Shaanxi.

The second clash between the two teams is scheduled for next Monday. The winner of the best-of-three playoffs will reach the quarterfinals. Enditem

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