SEREMBAN (Malaysia) - Japan took the lead in Group B by downing China, 78-57, in a clash between long-time basketball rivals in the FIBA U16 Women's Asia Cup 2025, Tuesday evening at the Karisma Arena.
The many-time finalists erased a six-point deficit by taking the lead before the second chapter ended before seizing full control in the third canto on the way to netting their second win in as many outings.
Now with a spotless record, the Japanese can complete the three-game sweep of the pool should they take care of business against 2023 bronze winners New Zealand on Wednesday, September 24, at 16:30 local time.
A win will also formalize the one-time gold medalists' entry to the Semi-Finals outright - and enable themselves as well to punch one of the four tickets en route to the FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup next year.
Miya Takeuchi led Team Japan with 23 points, alongside 4 rebounds and 6 assists with 2 steals.
Kohse Hosozawa finished with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, while the tandem of Nene Gondo and Honoka Yasui chipped in 10 points apiece for the team of Coach Yoshikazu Suzuki.
Gondo herself was responsible in giving her team the lead for good, knocking down both of her free throws for the 33-32 edge before Ran Kobayashi made it a 35-32 advantage entering the halftime intermission.
The troika of Hosozawa, Takeuchi, and Yasui would come in and add more to the lead, stringing together a scoring run that pushed the spread to a decade, 44-34, with less than eight minutes to go in the third.
Gondo and Yasui would join hands later on to make it a 59-44 Japan lead entering the final period, and the Chinese would never recover - so much so that they trailed by as many as 23 points.
Li Yuanshan led China with 20 points as she couldn't at least replicate her 38-point explosion against the NZL Girls. Sun Hanyun was the only other player in double digits with 13 points in the loss,
Now at 1-1, the three-time champions will look to vent their ire on Syria also on Wednesday at 19:00 local time in the final game of the Group Phase.
FIBA