The Tall Ferns defeated Chinese Taipei 74-59 to finish fifth at the FIBA Asia Cup after missing out on qualifying for the FIBA World Cup.
The Tall Ferns led at halftime 38-29 and again in the final quarter 49-32, with the first quarter ending in a 16-all draw.
The Tall Ferns defeated the team placed two places above them in the FIBA world rankings thanks to a strong performance by players Penina Davidson (26 points and 7 rebounds) and Kalani Purcell (12 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and four steals).
Coach Guy Molloy gave his bench players due minutes in the final stages, as his team finished the competition with a well-earned victory.
However, fifth place is a bittersweet consolation for the Tall Ferns, who needed to finish in the top four to qualify for next year's FIBA World Cup in Australia.
On Monday morning, Japan and China will play for the Asia Cup title, while Australia and South Korea will compete for third place, ensuring that all four teams qualify for the World Cup qualification event.