ESSEN, Germany, July 22 (Xinhua) -- China's women's basketball team advanced to the semifinals of the Rhine-Ruhr Universiade with a 75-70 victory over Japan in an end-to-end thriller on Tuesday.

China booked its place in the last eight by dominating Portugal, Romania and Chile in Group D, while Japan secured second place in Group C with two wins and one loss.

Japan opened the game with a 3-pointer and built a nine-point lead in the first quarter, but China responded and took the lead for the first time with under five minutes left in the second quarter. The first half ended with Japan ahead 36-34.

The two teams traded baskets after the break, but China's Tian Yuanyuan stepped up in the final quarter, sinking consecutive 3-pointers to cement her team's lead. Japan pushed for a late comeback, but China held firm to seal the win.

Tian scored a game-high 20 points, with Liu Yutong adding 17. Asahina Azusa led Japan with 17 points.

"The key to our victory is our execution of plays," said China's coach Zhao Xuetong.

China will face Poland in the semifinals after they defeated the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

"Poland has showcased its strength by beating Germany and United States, the squad is well-equipped at every position, we must get well-prepared and try to go further," Zhao noted. ■