Day 3 sees Korea break through in win column

WUHAN (2015 FIBA Asia Women's Championship) - Day 3 of the 2015 FIBA Asia Women's Championship saw the top three teams from the 2013 edition of the competition dictate the tempo and notch separate victories.

In Level I (Group A) play, Korea finally recorded a win, while Japan and China kept their slates immaculate.

It took long enough, but Korea finally entered the win column with their maiden win over hapless Thailand, 97-41. Coach We Sung-Woo's ladies didn't waste much time before turning this game into a blowout, outscoring the Thais, 23-9, in the first quarter and then continuing to build on that the rest of the way.

Kang A-Jeong exploded with 30 points for Korea, which have a chance to win two more games when they take on Chinese Taipei and India in the last two days of group play. Kang was backstopped by 16-year-old Park Ji-Su, who tallied 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Later in the day, Japan and Chinese Taipei played a tight game in the first three quarters, but 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.

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.

In the day's final contest, China didn't run into any trouble at all as they broke the century mark and dismantled India, 102-39.

Coach Tom Maher's team had a blistering start and never looked back en route to notching their third win in as many tries. Gao Song paced the winning side with 18 points off the bench even as Huang Sijing and Lu Wen chipped in 13 and 11 points respectively.

Coach Francisco Garcia’s team just couldn’t get anything going. A rough start left them in the dust, and they couldn’t gather any sort of momentum. Poojamol Subhashmon and Jeena Skaria were the only bright spots in an otherwise dreary outing for India. Both Subhashmon and Skaria tallied 10 points to lead their losing cause.

Earlier in the day, the Philippines opened hostilities by drubbing Sri Lanka, 65-45, in Level II (Group B). Shelley Anne Gupilan led the Philippine side with 15 points in under 20 minutes of play, while veteran campaigner Merenciana Arayi added 9 points and 6 steals. Sri Lanka was paced by Kumarine Silva’s 10 points and 7 rebounds.

In the schedule's second game, Malaysia turned back a stubborn Hong Kong quintet, 78-61, after drawing a strong all-around effort from Pang Hui Pin. Pang unloaded 18 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block in a scintillating showcase of skill. Cheuk Ting, meanwhile, registered a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double for Hong Kong.

DPR Korea got back on the winning track after defeating Kazakhstan, 68-55, in the final Level II (Group B) match of the afternoon. Ro Suk-Yong’s 23 points and 13 rebounds enabled the Koreans to bounce back after a late game collapse cost them dearly against the Philippines yesterday. Nadezhda Kondrakova, meanwhile, had 16 points and 9 rebounds to headline the Kazakh effort.

Day 4 is sure to be stockpiled with excitement. Undefeated teams Japan and China are headed for a collision course, while Korea hope to build on today's win by going up against Chinese Taipei. India and Thailand also tangle in a pivotal duel as both squads continue to search for that elusive win.

FIBA