Electrifying Japan make it rain to sink Spain

SOPRON (Hungary) - Japan found a high gear from the jump ball at the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament as they opened their campaign with a vibrant 86-75 success against Spain.

 

 

In a hotly anticipated first encounter in Sopron. Japan found the hot-hand early and managed to resist multiple comeback attempts by Spain.

 

Turning Point: There wasn't really one since Japan jumped all over Spain from the tip-off and their flying start was the foundation for a fabulous day one victory. They were 31-18 ahead just a minute into the second period and while Spain rallied, they never really established any control.

TCL Player of the Game: Saki Hayashi returned to the lineup with a bang and finished with a sparkling 20 points, including five three-pointers in the first-half alone. She eventually knocked down six from deep and also claimed 6 rebounds for good measure. 

 

Stats Don't Lie: Japan played Japan basketball and it was their trademark shooting from long-range that Spain found tough to deal with - as well as their quickness in transition. The AKATSUKI JAPAN knocked down a jaw-dropping 15 triples in the contest.

 

Bottom Line: Japan looked as vibrant as they were during their stunning run at Tokyo 2020. Intense defense, great fast break spacing, ball movement and deadly shooting. That is tough to stop for any team. Hayashi starred but there were nice cameos from Mai Yamamoto and Evelyn Mawuli with 15 and 20 points respectively. 

Spain knew what was coming but handed the initiative to Japan by engaging in a run and gun early in the game. They never truly got a grip on the tempo and their inability to dictate a half-court matchup sunk them. The margin of the loss could also be problematic in a possibly tight group. The positives were 19 points for Raquel Carrera and a 15-point debut for Megan Gustafson. 

They Said: "This is a huge win for us to step closer to Paris. Individually I made two three-pointers in the first quarter and that kind of set the tone for this game." Japan guard, Saki Hayashi

"We played as a team and I am so proud.Not just the players on the court, but also the bench.We had the energy and it went beyond that of the Spanish team." Japan head coach Toru Onzuka

"I want to congratulate Japan as they played a really good game. For us in some moments it was a little bit hard to stop their really high rhythm. We made some adjustments and we found options in offense. But it's a tough loss." Spain winger, Alba Torrens.

"Japan played at their level and we didn't. We have two more games and we will try to be ready.We will work to try and understand our performance. We will play better tomorrow." Spain playcaller, Miguel Mendez.

 
FIBA