Latvia Fights Back In Win Over Japan

Latvia 83  Japan 69

After an early basket-trading stretch Japan got ahead 17-13 with 3:38 remaining in the third. It was the when they received a 7-0 run from Latvia Which put the europeans in front 20-17, to finally finish the first quarter ahead 20-19.

Latvia started the second period with a 7-1 run that put them 27-20 up, beginning then both teams to trade baskets until they reached the interval. Despite of the trading, Japan slowly chipped their deficit and closed the gap to one point with 3:05 remaining, 34-33, but Ainars Zvirgindz reacted and got into the lockers 41-37 ahead  

Japan went on chasing the game. Ryoko Yano starred in the third with 12 points. Her hot shooting from the perimeter levelled the score 43-43 in a first moment, to after a basket from Gunta Basko, put her team ahead 45-46, to begin again the trading during the next minutes. With two minutes remaining, once again Ryoko Yano and once again from the perimeter, sparked a 9-0 run to put Japan 61-56 ahead. Anete Jekabsone-Zogota scored the last jumper of the period to make it 61-58  

Latvia began the fourth with a 6-0 run and put back in front, 62-60, but it was ephemeral since in the next Nippon offense, again Ryoko Yano, put the asian team back in front with a threepointer, 63-60. Then was when Ieva Tare started a 6-0 run for Latvia (With 4 points of her own and topped by Anete Jekabsone-Zogota) that put then ahead for good, 68-63 with 5:55 remaining

Japan tried to complete the comeback during the rest of the game but they weren’t fluent in scoring and rushed some offense so Latvia could increase their lead until the final 83-69 after a threepointer from Ieva Tare closing her personal account with 25 points. Stepping into the shoes of Anete Jekbasone Zogota and Gunta Basko who were very well defended by the Japanese guards

Apart from Ieva Tare’s 25 points, in Latvia three more players scored double digits, Liene Jansone had 16 pts and 8 rebounds, Anete Jekabsone Zogota 18 pts and Ieva Kublina 15 pts

For Japan Ryoko Yano scored 20 pts and Ai Mitani 16

BOX SCORE 

LATVIA: Eglite (2), Basko (5), Jansone (16), Jekabsone (18), Kublina (15) , Babkina (-), Eibele (-), Putnina (2), Krumberga (-), Tare (25), Brumermane (-).

JAPAN: Koiso (4), Mitani (16), Yano (20), Oga (4), Tanaka (2) , Aizawa (5), Yashiro (2), Ishikawa (7), Funabiki (-), Yamada (1), Yoshida (11), Utsumi (2).