THE NUMBERS

SJTU 72, NCCU 69 (18-17, 15-23, 21-10, 18-19).

NCCU came into the final 9-0 all-time in AUBL. They had never lost a game in the league's history.

SJTU came into AUBL26 having never beaten PKU, THU and NCCU in program history — either in local league (CUBAL) or AUBL. They finish the season as Champions, having defeated all 3.

Boubacar Mboup took 12 offensive rebounds, the most in any AUBL game ever. NCCU pulled down 27 offensive rebounds as a team, also an all-time record, and outrebounded SJTU 55-42. However, they shot 31.1% from the field and 4 of 19 from 3-point range (21.1%), their worst shooting game in program history. All those extra possessions bought NCCU 74 shots to SJTU's 64 — and 3 fewer points, with the 27 offensive rebounds producing just 13 second-chance points.

SJTU shot 40.6% and went 5 of 25 from deep (20.0%), but committed only 10 turnovers, less than half their 23.0 tournament average, against the best defense in the league. At the other end they held NCCU, who came in averaging 85.0 points a game, to 69.

The lead changed hands 23 times and the teams were tied nine times. SJTU played without starting centre Wang Yan, who was injured in the semifinal. Yu Zihan scored 14 off the bench and finished plus-19, the best mark on the floor. Mention NCCU average 85 and being held to 69

Shanghai Jiao Tong University (上海交通大学)

• Points: 14 — Chen Tiancan (陈天灿) Player of the Game - and Yu Zihan (于梓涵) · 12 — Jiang Chenxuan (姜宸轩)
• Rebounds: 7 — Lin Xing (林星), Jiang Chenxuan (姜宸轩) and Chen Tiancan (陈天灿)
• Assists: 5 — Chen Tiancan (陈天灿), Jiang Chenxuan (姜宸轩) and Hu Hui (胡汇)

NCCU (政治大學)

• Points: 15 — Boubacar Mboup (波波卡) · 11 — Hsu Te Chi (徐得祈) · 10 — Wang Wei Jia (王暐嘉)
• Rebounds: 16 — Boubacar Mboup (波波卡), 12 offensive, all-time AUBL record · 10 — Chang Chun Huai (張鈞淮)
• Assists: 5 — Hsu Te Chi (徐得祈) and Lin En Yu (林恩宇)

GAME RECAP

Jiang Chenxuan hit a turnaround jumper in the lane with 41 seconds left and Shanghai Jiao Tong University beat NCCU 72-69 on Tuesday night to win AUBL26, handing the defending champions their first loss in league history.

SJTU led 18-17 after a first quarter with 11 lead changes, and NCCU took over in the second. They outscored SJTU 23-15 behind eight offensive rebounds in the quarter, five of them from Chang Chun Huai, led by as many as 12, and took a 40-33 lead into halftime.

SJTU came out swinging in the third. They held NCCU to 10 points — Mboup went scoreless in the quarter — while scoring 21 of their own, seven from Yu Zihan, and led 54-50 going into the fourth. Neither team led by more than three the rest of the way.

Hsu Te Chi's 3-pointer with 2:20 to play put NCCU ahead 69-66, and SJTU closed the game on a 6-0 run. NCCU's last five possessions produced four turnovers and a missed 3-pointer: an 8-second violation, a Hsieh Yun Da turnover that Chen Tiancan converted into the tying 3-pointer at 1:50, and a Jiang Chenxuan steal off Hsu Te Chi a minute later. Out of the timeout, Jiang Chenxuan hit the turnaround for a 71-69 lead. Yu Zihan made one of two free throws with 37 seconds left, Hsu Te Chi missed a 3-pointer from the wing with 17 seconds remaining and Chen Tiancan took the rebound to seal it.

Chen Tiancan finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 39 minutes. Yu Zihan scored 14 off the bench, 13 of them after halftime, and Jiang Chenxuan had 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Hu Hui had three blocks.

Mboup finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds, his seventh career double-double. Hsu Te Chi had 11 points and five assists on 4-of-16 shooting, and Hsieh Yun Da, three days after his career-high 26 in the semifinal, went 2 of 12.

LOOKING AHEAD

SJTU are AUBL26 champions, a year after finishing eighth of twelve.

NCCU finish runners-up at 9-1 all-time.

Waseda finished third, beating Tsinghua 98-91 earlier on Tuesday and the AUBL26 season comes to a close.