U19 WWC Day 3: Round of 16 set as Japan win a thriller and Mali shock Germany

MADRID (Spain) - The matchups for Wednesday's all-important FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup Round of 16 games are now known after the conclusion of an eventful first phase in Madrid. 

Here's your roundup of what happened on Day 3 of the competition, while you can also check out the Round of 16 pairings below.

Drama as Japan edge out Lithuania 

This was always destined to be one of the games of the tournament after both teams had won their opening games and it met expectations in a big way as Japan took an absorbing 80-78 victory. It almost went to overtime, but Juste Jocyte of Lithuania couldn't get her last second shot to drop and it meant that Japan wrapped up first place in Group C.

Their success was mainly due to a couple of standout contributions from Minami Yabu who harvested 23 points and 6 boards, while Nanami Tsuno grabbed 19 points and 7 assists. The loss was tough to take for Vilte Andrunaviciute who netted 25 points for Lithuania.

Haidara hits the heights again as Mali beat Germany

Mali are loving life in Madrid as they took second spot in Group B with a fine 73-66 victory against Germany as Maimouna Haidara did the business yet again. After a triple double for Mali's second game , she sealed a stunning win with a brilliant 16 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocked shots. However it was a real team performance with four other Mali ballers all attaining double-digit scoring returns. 

USA find top gear with biggest score of the competition... so far

The reigning champions went into overdrive in their game against Chinese Taipei as they collected a jaw-dropping 112-49 win, showing no mercy with 37 points in the last quarter. It was all smiles as they left the court, with Hannah Hidalgo and Breya Cunningham sharing 32 points, while Londynn Jones had 17 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 assists.

France squeeze out Gems

France cemented second place in Group A after completing a tense 72-68 win against Australia. Leila Lacan top scored with 16 points, while Anaelle Dutat also stood out with 12 points, 7 boards and 5 steals. France got the job done despite a near stone-cold 2 of 16 from downtown.

Photo Of The Day

Vittoria Blasigh of Italy was literally jumping for joy when it proved to be a case of third time lucky for Italy and they took their first victory of the competition by beating Brazil. 

Highlight of the Day

Even if she didn't quite manage to get her team the win, there's always time to stop what you're doing, take a moment, and simply enjoy 'Jocyte-Ball'. Has there ever been a time when it doesn't make you feel good watching Lithuanian ace Juste Jocyte play hoops?

Other Results

- Canada are a perfect three wins from three games after they rolled over Egypt with ease to collect a 100-44 victory. Syla Swords put in her best performance to date with 22 points, while Jana Elalfy stood out as usual for the Africans with 20 points and 9 rebounds.

- Similarly, hosts Spain head into the next stage unbeaten after they had little difficulty in seeing off Argentina 74-35 as all 12 players on the roster got onto the scoresheet - led by 12 points from Ines Noguero Outeiral who also had 4 blocks.

- Italy celebrated their first win in taking down Brazil 84-74, with Vittoria Blasigh catching absolute fire and dropping a sparkling 27 points to inspire her team.

- Czech Republic continue to rely on their standout performer Dominka Paurova for inspiration as they beat China 75-59, with the guard adding 20 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, while Emma Cechova recorded 15 points, 11  boards and 3 blocks.

Round of 16 Pairings

 

Spain vs Chinese Taipei
France vs Germany
USA vs Argentina
Mali vs Australia
Japan vs China
Lithuania  vs Egypt
Canada vs Brazil
Czech Republic vs Italy

FIBA