Players of the United States kiss the medals in the awarding ceremony of women's wheelchair basketball at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, September 15, 2008. USA won the match 50-38 and claimed the title of the event. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) Photo Gallery>>>

Player of the Germany hugs teammate in the awarding ceremony of women's wheelchair basketball at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, September 15, 2008. Germany was defeated by USA 38-50 and won the silver medal. (Xinhua/Meng Yongmin) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Defending champion the United States defeated Germany 50-38 for the women's wheelchair basketball gold medal while defending silver medallist Australia held off Japan 53-47 to win the bronze on Monday at the National Indoor Stadium.

    Canada, defending bronze medallist, knocked out the Netherlands in the 5th-6th place playoff and China outlasted Britain in 7th-8th.

    The United States, who won the gold medal at Athens 2004, kept a close guard on Germany with their man-on-man defence style that minimized Germany's scoring opportunities.

    Center Marina Mohnen Hnen, who scored 13 points, was the only German to have scored over six points.

Players of the United States celebrate in the awarding ceremony of women's wheelchair basketball at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, September 15, 2008. USA won the match 50-38 and claimed the title of the event. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) Photo Gallery>>>

    Forward Carlee Hoffman and guard Stephanie Wheeler helped seal the United States' victory by each hitting two free throws in the last two minutes of play.

    Germany committed several fouls in the fourth quarter and allowed a game total of 19 turnovers, from which the United States scored 11 points.

    Despite 21 turnovers and a flurry of missed scoring chances in the fourth quarter, Australia, the defending silver medallist, held on for a 53-47 victory over Japan.

    Guard Kylie Gauci hit a clutch three-point shot and a foul shot, forward Sarah Stewart made a field goal and a foul shot, and forward Cobi Crispin made a free throw in the last three minutes of play.

    Forward Mari Amimoto was the game's top scorer with 18 points.

    Canada crushed the Netherlands 61-32 to finish fifth.

    Three players scored in the double digits for Canada, whose tight defence limited the Netherlands to scoring only 10 points in the second half.

Player of the United States cuts the net as the souvenir in the awarding ceremony of women's wheelchair basketball at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, September 15, 2008.(Xinhua/Meng Yongmin) Photo Gallery>>>

    The Netherlands hit fewer than half of the field goals and two-point shots that Canada did.

    Guard Inge Huitzing was the only player from the Netherlands to have scored over six points.

    China thrashed Britain 57-38 in the play-off game for 7th-8th place.

    Center Fu Yongqing led China's relentless offence by scoring 28 points. China overcame a first-quarter deficit of six points and poured in shots for the rest of the game to earn their second win of the tournament.

    They outscored Britain 20-2 in the second quarter. Forward Helen Freeman was the top British scorer, but none of the British players scored above seven points.