WUHAN (2015 FIBA Asia Women's Championship) - Japan and Chinese Taipei played a tight game in the first three quarters, but a a hot start by Japan in the final frame enabled them to seize the initiative and cruise to their third win in as many games, 60-44, in Level I (Group A) of the 2015 FIBA Asia Women’s Championship.

WNBA player Ramu Tokashiki struggled for Japan, but coach Tomohide Utsumi got great production form other ladies. Chinatsu Yamamoto spearheaded Japan's attack with 14 points and 3 assists, while Mio Shinozaki added 10 points. Both Yamamoto and Shinozaki came off the bench to spur their team’s offense.

Chinese Taipei shot a poor 32.7 percent from the field, with star players Wei Yu-Chun and Bao Hsi-Le combining to make only 4 of their 16 attempts. Point guard Peng Szu-Chin was the only Chinese Taipei player in double digits with 10 points, but she, too, struggled with only 3-of-10 field goal shooting.

Both teams will be tested again on Tuesday as Japan face China and Chinese Taipei take on Korea.

Turning Point: Yuka Mamiya's lay-up at the 9:37 mark of the fourth period sparked a huge 13-2 run for Japan that enabled them to build a 55-40 advantage with only 5:19 left to play. Chinese Taipei were not able to recover from that barrage, and they fell to only their first loss of the competition.

Stats Don't Lie: Bench production was a big difference-maker in this game. Coach Utsumi's reserves outscored their Chinese Taipei counterparts, 36-20, with Yamamoto and Shinozaki, of course, at the vanguard. Other bench players Maki Takada and Rui Machida also contributed well, though, pairing up for 10 points off the pine. In contrast, no Chinese Taipei reserve scored more than 4 points.

Game Hero: Mamiya didn't score much in this game - only 6 points on 2-of-11 shooting - but she more than made up for that by collaring 15 rebounds and getting 2 steals. With Tokashiki not playing well, Mamiya stepped up to anchor the middle for the Japanese and outplay Chinese Taipei's starting center Bao Hsi-Le.

The Bottom Line: This was a big character-building win for Japan. Chinese Taipei threatened when they cut a 10-point halftime deficit to just four points entering the final quarter, but Japan were up to the challenge and countered with their own run. This is just the kind of result they need heading into their big encounter with China tomorrow, who also remain unbeaten. Chinese Taipei, meanwhile, had a bit of an easy time in their first two games, and they will continue to get tested by much stronger teams moving forward.

FIBA