SHENZHEN - China rode on a strong second half to defeat South Korea 91-69, while Australia emerged victorious 79-67 in a clash of titans over Japan to finish as Group B leader and secure a semifinal spot at the FIBA Women's Asia Cup here on Tuesday.

China had an early 7-0 run on the way to a 13-5 lead, while guard An He-ji's buzzer-beating heave pulled South Korea within 16-13 as the opening period expired.

An's another shot from 3-point range moved South Korea on level terms at 19-19. China captain Yang Liwei stepped up, making a layup and then another on a fast break as the host went ahead 30-24. But fueled by Shin Ji-hyun's five straight points, South Korea stayed in contention.

With its star shooter Kang Lee-seul sidelined due to a leg injury, South Korea had a moment of scare when center Park Ji-su left the court grabbing her right arm with 1:18 left to play in the second quarter. Yang's layup helped China to a 36-29 halftime lead.

With the twin tower of Zhang Ziyu and Han Xu on the court, China protected the rim excellently after the restart, earning its first double-digit lead at 42-29. China outscored South Korea 30-20 in the third quarter for an unassailable 17-point margin.

Yang drained a 3-pointer with 2:50 on the clock to push the lead to 20 points, effectively sealing the defending champion's second straight win in as many matches.

Four Chinese players cracked double figures in scoring, with Zhang and Han contributing 18 points apiece. Yang and Zhang Ru helped with 11 and 10 points respectively.

"We were focused on defense in the second half," said Yang after the game. On her own performance in clutch time, she added, "I didn't think too much. I just put what I had trained into my play."

"This game is important for us to finish our task in the group stage," China coach Gong Luming told a press conference. "We, as a young team, really wanted to play this game well. At the beginning, players were tight, especially on the offensive end, we were a little bit rushing."

"In the second half, we played much more freely, with greater momentum and smoothness," he added.

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Both unbeaten after two games, Japan and Australia went head-to-head for a top place in Group B, which would merit a direct qualification for the semifinals.

Australia capped off a nip-and-tuck first quarter ahead 26-22. With the score knotted at 35-35 midway through the second quarter, Stephanie Mawuli scored seven straight points as Japan began to take a stranglehold of the game en route to a 51-42 lead at halftime.

Australia bounced back strongly after the intermission, bringing the game level at 59-59 heading into the final frame.

Leading 65-63 with six minutes remaining, the Opals had a decisive 7-0 run to break the game open and never looked back.

Australia tops the group with a perfect record, thus advancing to the final four, while the 2023 edition's silver medalist Japan has to dispute the semifinal qualification on Friday to keep its chances alive.

In the other game of Group A, New Zealand cruised past Indonesia 75-45.

Facing a taller and more physical New Zealand, Division A debutant Indonesia was undeterred, employing its fast-paced game to keep the 2023 semifinalist within striking distance early on.

After a 14-14 opening tie, New Zealand blew open the game with an 11-0 run bridging the first and second quarters to open up a double-digit lead.

The lead would balloon to 20 points at the midpoint of the third quarter, and the world No. 26 was never threatened the rest of the way.

Esra McGoldrick led all scorers with 18 points for New Zealand, while Kim Pierre-Louis had a team-high 11 points for Indonesia.

China will face New Zealand on Wednesday, while South Korea plays against Indonesia.

Speaking of the China game, New Zealand coach Natalie Hurst said: "It's a great opportunity for us to come out and play against one of the best teams in the world."

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"We just hope to continue to grow, our group as a whole, and work on something that we want to work on," she added.