Sichuan Yuanda Meile beat the Philippines' Akari Sparks 94–73 in Bengaluru, India, on October 22, topping Group A of the 2026 Women's Basketball League Asia with two wins from two. A 30–13 second quarter turned a three-point lead after one period into twenty at halftime, laying the foundation for a semi-final place.
Most of the advantage comes in one second-quarter surge
Akari led 16–14 early before Sichuan found its rhythm. Using FIBA's 53–33 halftime score and second-quarter figures, the first quarter ended 23–20. Sichuan won the second by seventeen and the full game by 21, locating the most decisive separation in that period.
Blicavs recorded 22 points and nine rebounds, making three of six three-pointers. Player of the game Carter contributed 21 points, six rebounds and four steals. Gao Song had eleven points and six rebounds, while Su Yingying also scored eleven. Their 65 combined points were approximately 69.1% of Sichuan's total, providing its main scoring support.
For Akari, Grant-Allen had 22 points and nine rebounds, Berberabe twelve points, three rebounds and five assists, while Joson and Scott scored eleven and ten. Sichuan did not add a comparable gap after halftime: the second-half aggregate was 41–40, extending the advantage by only one.
The other group's results determine the semi-final opponent
Sichuan opened with a 92–70 win over Cathay Life and secured Group A first place with this victory. Cathay finished second at 1–1. FIBA's subsequent Group B report confirmed Denso's 80–65 win over Cheongju KB: Denso topped the group 2–0 and Cheongju KB was second at 1–1.
The October 24 semi-finals are therefore Sichuan against Cheongju KB and Denso against Cathay. In FIBA's report, Sichuan head coach Yang Yi said the semi-final would be harder and this match helped the team adapt to the intensity. Carter also said the coaches and club would prepare for the next game.
INKA SPORTS analysis: Building a lead and maintaining it are different tasks
A seventeen-point second-quarter gain and a one-point second-half gain describe two rhythms. Sichuan established separation before halftime, then played the final two periods 41–40. Most of the final 21-point margin already existed in the second quarter; protecting it was the primary second-half task.
As in the opener, when a large first-half lead was maintained afterward, Sichuan carried an early advantage to the finish in both games, with real scoring contributions from Blicavs, Carter and domestic players. The knockout test is whether those scorers sustain the offense when opponents keep the game close, rather than merely repeating large group-stage margins.
Conclusion
Sichuan reaches the October 24 semi-final against Cheongju KB unbeaten and first in Group A. Seventeen net points in the second quarter determined the lead's scale, while Blicavs, Carter and two domestic double-figure scorers supported the offense. The next question is whether that scoring distribution helps Sichuan clear the semi-final and continue toward the title.
