Japan’s
next opponents are Qatar, who earlier in the day showed defending champions
Lebanon the door. For the record, Japan had beaten Qatar 73-69, when the
two had met in the Group B Prelim Round.
China
have brought here a team that is best described as promising, but the efforts
of the youngsters on this night would have warmed the cockles of the CBA top
brass’ heart, including FIBA Asia’s women’s representative in the FIBA Central
Board Xu Lan who was watching the game with her usual keenness.
There
was no sign of fear or frailty in the Chinese youngsters’ approach as they took
to the game with assured confidence.
So what
did they lack? Where did Japan win?
The
answer to both the questions was the same: experience.
Where
Japan, although one is tempted to term them slightly short on talent compared
to the China, had a line-up that was time tested and tactically far more
mature, China’s were raw and impulsive power.
This
exactly was where Kosuke Takeuchi in combination with his Aishin Seahorses
teammate and the naturalized veteran JR Sakuragi tilted the scales’ in the hosts’
favor.
Sakuragi
kept Wang Zhelin under a tight leash allowing the teenager very little room to
move about with his characteristic jaunt and Takeuchi came up with some
opportunistic drive ins to take Japan home.
Guo
Ailun was his usual perky self as the playmaker of the Chinese plays and Wang
Zhelin too shone when he managed to break away from Sakuragi’s shackles, but
the rest of the line-up simply fell short. Not for want of effort though!
If nothing else both teams
will have something to carry forward from this game. Japan a place in the
semifinals and China some invaluable experience.
-Source: FIBA Asia
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