Group D Review - Argentina's last-second heartbreak; Czechs do not bounce Russia

BRNO (FIBA World Championship for Women) - Yuko Oga's shot at the buzzer handed Japan a 59-58 victory over Argentina on Day Two of Group D action at the FIBA World Championship in Brno.

Russia, meanwhile, held off a resilient Czech Republic to claim a 55-52 triumph in the other pool game.

In the first game, Japan recorded their first win in dramatic fashion.

They led 51-42 early in the fourth quarter but Argentina battled back and went in front with 3:07 to go on a jump shot by Florencia Fernandez.

The lead changed hands four times with Argentina's Carolina Sanchez hitting a jump shot with 51 seconds to go for a 58-57 advantage.

Argentina weren't able to slam the door shut.

With fouls to give, they committed four in the final minute, including one with just a single second remaining.

Japan inbounded the ball to Oga from the side and she released her runner just as the backboard lit up to signal time had expired.

The ball fell through the hoop to spark Japanese celebrations on the court.

"I knew as soon as I got the pass that I need to make that basket and I did," said Oga, who led all scorers with 21 points.

"We knew this was an important game for us and we are very happy to have won.

"It was a close game and an incredible finish."

Argentina's players and coaches complained that the basket should not have counted.

"We are hurting right now," said Argentina coach Eduardo Pinto.

"I am convinced that the ball went in after the buzzer. I think the officials made a mistake by not allowing video replay.

"It's hugely disappointing because we had the win in our hands. We weren't able to finish it off, though, having given away the ball in our previous posession."

Japan, who lost their opener against Russia 86-63, take on the Czech Republic tomorrow while winless Argentina will face a stern test against Russia.

The Russians will go into that game unbeaten but with coach Boris Sokolovskiy by no means satisfied with his team's performance against the Czechs.

His team turned the ball over 26 times.

"It was a very difficult game," said Becky Hammon, who was the only Russia player to finish in double figures with 13.

"They had a lot of pressure to win and everybody was pulling for them.

"We knew it was going to come down to the wire and we just hang on there at the end.

"We just have to continue to get better as a team. There's a lot of things that we can do better. We have to continue to learn and gel together as a team, get better and move forward."

With Russia leading 55-46 with 2:42 left on the clock, the hosts went on 5-0 run.

Russia almost shot themselves in the foot when Hammon was called for an unsportsmanlike foul on Hana Horakova with 25 seconds remaining.

"To me that was a good foul," said Hammon. "I didn't go with the intent to hurt her.

"This is the difference between FIBA rules and WNBA rules. It takes time to adapt to that."

Horakova only split both free throws, however, to make it 55-52.

The Czechs needed a three to tie it but with nine seconds remaining, Ilona Korstin stole the ball from Ilona Burgrova and the Czechs fouled Irina Osipova.

She missed both free-throws and Horakova rebounded but her desperation three-ball at the buzzer came up short.

"We played bad in the first half and although we played better after the break, it was not enough," said Horakova, who carried her team tonight with a game-high 21 points.

She had 14 of her team's 22 points at the break when her team trailed 33-22.

"We played with six or seven players and for this hard and very physical game, we needed more players," added Horakova.

The hosts had a nightmare night shooting the ball from long range, making just three of 16 (19%).

FIBA