AMMAN (Jordan) - Three-peat seekers Australia and Japan coasted to easy victories, while Chinese Taipei finally beat Korea after so many years in Day 2 of the FIBA U16 Women's Asian Championship-Division A competitions, Tuesday at the Prince Hamzah Sport Hall.

Australia stamp class

The Sapphires hardly showed any first-game rust whatsoever as they dealt Thailand a 125-20 beatdown in the opening salvo of the day.

Looking to become the first to achieve a treble, the team raced to a 32-4 lead and never looked back on the way to joining Korea and Chinese Taipei on top of the Group A standings.

Eight players scored in double figures in the victory, with Jesse-May Hall leading the way with a game-high 23 points on an efficient 10-of-15 shooting from the field.

Ruby Perkins flirted with a double-double with 16 points and 9 of the team's 33 steals, together with 2 rebounds, 7 assists, and a block for an efficiency rating of 27.0

Zara Russell had 13 points and 6 rebounds. Sophie Taylor produced 12 and 12,, Sienna Lehmann and Prasayus Notoa had 11 each, while Jade Crook and Coco Hodges added 10 markers apiece in the victory that saw Australia collect 69 rebounds and 30 assists.

Chinese Taipei seize Group A lead

Chinese Taipei emerged triumphant in one of the tournament's best games thus far as they edged out Korea, 85-81, to break a 14-game losing skid against the latter in youth competitions.

Chen Chia Shan Pan starred in the historic win with 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists as she orchestrated their comeback from a 70-66 deficit with under 8 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

She dished out the key assist to Yu Shan Hsu for the big three-point play to give themselves the 75-78 lead with 2:50 left to play, and then joined hands with both Hsu and Jo Yen Wang in keeping their foes at bay on the way to snatching the provisional solo lead in Group A (2-0).

Korea's loss, on the other hand, put to naught the Herculean efforts of Lee Gahyun and Lim Yeonseo in carrying the fight for their side with 32 and 31 points, respectively.

Japan show might anew, stay atop Group B

Japan flexed their might once again, this time rolling past the debuting New Zealand, 75-44, to move one win away from clinching the top spot of Group B.

Coming off a 106-28 demolition of Samoa, the young Akatsuki faced resistance from the Junior Tall Ferns early until they found their touch en route to a 25-13 lead to end the first.

Momentum swung in their favor since, so much so that they held the opposition to just five points while producing 17 in the final period to eventually go 2-0 in the standings.

An Kazanawa led the win with 19 points. Otoha Goto made 14 points, while Kokona Abe supplied 13 markers and 8 boards in the victory that saw the Japanese collect 21 steals.

Bailey Flavell, meanwhile, had 19 points to lead New Zealand in the loss, where they committed 31 turnovers. Pahlyss Hokianga was her only support with 15 points.

Daily highs
Efficiency: 34.0, Lee Gahyun (KOR)
Points: 32, Lee Gahyun (KOR)
Rebounds: 12, Sophie Taylor (AUS)
Assists: 8, Wonjung Lee (KOR)
Steals: 9, Ruby Perkins (AUS)
Blocks: 2, Coco Hodges (AUS); Yupasinee Songkram (THA); Jennifer Mailei (NZL(

Results
Group A
Australia def. Thailand, 125-20
Chinese Taipei def. Korea, 85-81

Group B
Japan def. New Zealand, 75-44

FIBA