On the evening of July 12, the Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center echoed with cheers and roars as the Men’s National Final of the 28th China University Basketball Association League (CUBAL) tipped off. Our men’s basketball team once again locked horns with its long-time rival, Tsinghua University. After four hard-fought quarters, the whole team united as one and fought to the very end, defeating its formidable opponent 71-65. They lifted the national championship trophy again after 14 years, securing the third title in the program’s history and writing a new chapter in basketball for Taiyuan University of Technology (TYUT)!
In this decisive battle, our team came out on top through balanced contributions from everyone, iron-clad defense, and clutch play. Three players scored in double figures, as our team’s basketball overpowered Tsinghua’s reliance on individual heroics. In the opening quarter, the team made an early lineup adjustment, and Cao Zhihao drove into the paint and hit a smooth fadeaway for the team’s first points, sounding the charge on offense. On defense, our players gave no ground and scrapped relentlessly. Chen Ziwen, with a red-hot hand, scored five straight points and then delivered a beautiful assist that set up two more for Liu Shaowei. Facing the scorching outside shooting of Tsinghua’s Shi Kui, our team held on through physical, hard-nosed defense and kept the score close. The first quarter ended with TYUT trailing 19-21, setting the stage for a comeback.
Returning in the second quarter, TYUT fully opened the floodgates on offense, with scoring from all over the court. Liu Shaowei opened the surge with a three-pointer, then drove for an and-one play to retake the lead. Yang Zihao came up with a sharp steal and finished the fast break with a layup, Chen Ziwen buried a three-pointer from the outside, and Liu Shaowei kept attacking the paint for two more. This offensive run stretched the lead to seven points and forced Tsinghua to call a timeout. Near the end of the quarter, Cao Zhihao kept up the fire with another three-pointer. The team posted a flawless first half with zero turnovers, pouring in 27 points in the quarter to outscore the opponent by 10. TYUT went into halftime with a commanding 46-38 lead, as waves of cheers from TYUT fans swept through the arena.
In the second half, our team stuck to its patient defensive-transition game and never lost composure. Chen Ziwen hit a pull-up jumper for the first points of the second half. After a key block shut down a Tsinghua attack, Yang Hulong seized a fast-break chance and scored on a layup, igniting the crowd. Cao Zhihao carried the team on both ends of the floor. He buried a transition three off a steal and drew fouls on consecutive drives to score six straight points, pushing the lead to as many as 10 points at one stage. Inside, Duan Chengguo served as a defensive anchor in the paint, delivering a key block to steady the defense. At the end of the three quarters, TYUT held its lead at 58-52.
The final quarter brought the climax of the game. Tsinghua struck first with a three-pointer and launched a furious comeback, closing the gap in an instant and pushing the tension in the arena to its peak. In the critical moment, core player Cao Zhihao stepped up and drained a three-pointer, extinguishing the opponent’s momentum on the spot. In the deadlock that followed, Yang Zihao scored on a drive and layup, and Duan Chengguo battled through contact for an and-one, putting the team back in control and forcing Tsinghua to call another timeout. After the timeout, Yang Zihao added a free throw to solidify the lead. Then came a moving scene that touched the whole arena: Liu Shaowei cramped up and fell to the floor after giving everything he had. His teammates rushed immediately to help him up, epitomizing the togetherness of the TYUT men’s basketball roster.
In the decisive moments, Duan Chengguo and Yang Hulong teamed up to haul in a critical offensive rebound. Poised sideline inbounds kept TYUT in firm control. When the opponent gambled on intentional fouls, Cao Zhihao withstood the pressure and calmly sank his free throws, making both in the final moments to lock up the victory. When the final buzzer sounded, the score stood at 71-65! All the players embraced and celebrated, realizing their dream of a third title after 14 years. Cao Zhihao scored 23 points for the game and was named Finals MVP; Liu Shaowei added 17 points and nine rebounds, and Chen Ziwen contributed a steady 10 points. Every player who took the court gave everything he had. Head coach Yang Wenhai was named Coach of the Year.
This hard-earned third championship was never the work of a single person. It belongs to the young players on the court who trained day and night, honing their skills through countless shots and battles; to the coaching staff who pored over opponents’ game plans and made shrewd in-game adjustments; and to the teachers and students of the whole university and TYUT fans at home and abroad, who traveled far and wide to fill the arena, their deafening cheers serving as the team’s strongest foundation. From reaching the summit in 2010 and 2012, through years in the wilderness and several heartbreaking runner-up finishes, all the way to tonight’s coronation, TYUT men’s basketball has embodied an unyielding resolve and fearless solidarity to prove its dominance as the “King of the Northwest” on the national stage.
Cutting through every obstacle along the way, the team reached the final for the seventh time and finally stood at the top again. The players, playing with guts and irresistible momentum, have brought the gleaming golden championship trophy back to TYUT! The third-title achievement opens a new chapter, and the passionate legend of TYUT men’s basketball lives on!
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