On July 15th, the Women’s Asian Cup continued, with Australia staging a remarkable comeback in the second half, leveraging their deep bench and significant height advantage. In the fourth quarter, they unleashed a 20-8 scoring spree, ultimately defeating Japan 79-67. This victory secured them top spot in their group and made them the first team to advance to the semi-finals.
Media commentator Mai Suifeng commented in a post: “The Australian women’s basketball team leveraged their roster depth advantage in the second half to achieve a comeback victory. However, the Japanese women’s team did not suffer a crushing defeat; they fought until the very end, losing by 12 points, 67 to 79.”
All twelve players on the Australian women’s basketball team possess starting-caliber abilities; the actual gap between substitutes and starters is minimal, making them increasingly advantageous as the game progresses. For Japan, which is in a rebuilding phase, this performance is already quite commendable. However, I still feel they gave their all, while the Australian team hasn’t yet displayed its full potential. Having missed out on topping the group, Japan may face China earlier than anticipated.
Media commentator Kong Dexin commented in a written statement: Australia defeated Japan in a comeback victory, achieving three consecutive wins and advancing to the semi-finals. Japan will play against the third-placed team from the group containing the Chinese women’s basketball team, meaning that, barring any surprises, the Chinese women’s basketball team will face Japan in the semi-finals.
Japan’s women’s basketball team scored only 16 points in the second half today, having shot 9 out of 17 three-pointers in the first half, compared to a mere 2 out of 13 in the second. Lebanon’s earlier performance had already foreshadowed the difficulties of playing against Australia without a consistent inside scoring presence.
This Australian team boasts significant height and physicality, without sacrificing much speed or ball-handling skills. Although their three-point threat was less pronounced than Japan’s (6 of 21 today), they ultimately overwhelmed Japan through fast breaks, drives to the basket, and offensive rebounding.
Australia’s reserve center, Okwoso, scored 14 points and grabbed 8 rebounds (6 offensive), having rested yesterday against Lebanon to conserve energy. 28-year-old guard, Stephen Reid, contributed 15 points, 9 assists, 2 steals, and only 1 turnover, playing almost 33 minutes while maintaining high energy throughout. Her performance has been consistently stable over these past few games.
This Japanese women’s basketball team amplified their size, but their ball-handling ability has indeed declined. They committed 17 turnovers in the game, and Australia capitalized on these turnovers for 20 points. When we play Japan, we must also excel at applying pressure on their passing.
Media commentator Santu’s pointed commentary: 51 points in the first half, 16 points in the second!
Nine of 17 three-point attempts were successful in the first half, while only two of 13 were made in the second half!
Despite once holding an 11-point lead, Japan’s physical disadvantages, coupled with inconsistent outside shooting and mounting pressure, ultimately proved insurmountable.
Australia’s women’s basketball team has secured first place in Group B, directly advancing to the semi-finals, while Japan will most likely be our semi-final opponent.
Media commentator Ji Mengnian commented: Australia’s full-court press and aggressive defensive tactics, consistently applying pressure to Japan, led to a decline in Japan’s second-half three-point shooting percentage and frequency. More significantly, Australia forced a high number of turnovers from Japan. Young guard Tanaka, while possessing talent and a deadly step-back three-pointer, struggled against Australia’s physicality, often losing balance in post-up situations. She committed six turnovers, contributing to Japan’s overall 17 turnovers.
Australia’s game plan is to force turnovers, as they did in Haikou when they defeated China. Their strategy involves fast breaks, drives to the basket, and aggressive pursuit of offensive rebounds. However, in the second game in Changsha, the Chinese team demonstrated better adaptation.
Following its victory over Japan, Australia secured the top spot in its group, advancing directly to the semi-finals and virtually guaranteeing a place in the finals. The Australian men’s team has consistently won championships in FIBA Asia Cup competitions, while the women’s team has yet to achieve this feat. This year, however, the Australian women’s team appears well-prepared. A final showdown between China and Australia is highly likely, promising a fiercely contested match.