Cuba and Brazil To Face In Final Ticket To Beijing

CUBA 66 - JAPAN 58

First quarter was even and both teams traded baskets, being not so aggressive in defense as they were in the days before. Yayma Boulet lead Cuba in this game, dominating the paint on both end and lead Cuba in scoring in the first with 12 points. After trading the first quarter ended 21-18 Cuba

Cuba defended harder in the second and they made an 8-2 run in the first five minutes to put 29-20 in front and after maintained that lead until the break. Both teams weren’t specially fortunate in the offense and they reached the break with 37-26 for the caribbean.

After the break the scoring struggles continued and none of them would score in the first 2:30. Then was when Ryoko Yano scored from the perimeter for Japan, making it 37-29, going back to trading for a couple of minutes, until Cuba managed to make an 8-0 run to make it 49-33, leaving Japan scoreless during three minutes. The Cubans would keep that leaD until late in the quarter when Japan improved their defense and as a result made an 8-0 run with 2:38 and put them 10 points down before entering the fourth, 53-43.

Japan tried to complete the comeback from the perimeter although they weren’t hot from beyond the arc, while Cuba continued adding points to their score since the Japanese weren’t a serious menace for victory, but in the last four minutes things changed. Naomi Yashiro scored a three point play and after Japan capped a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 57-52. Yakelyn Plutín would cut the drought to make it 59-52 with five minutes remaining

Then was when Tomohide Utsumi called time out. His team improved its defense and begin forcing mistakes from Alberto Zabala’s girls, who didn’t score in the next two minutes, at the same time that Japan was making a 6-0 run to cut its deficit to just one point, 59-58 with a basket from Kumiko Yamada. But the Caribbean kept their nerve and knew how to control the game, as Japan was affected by the pressure and went scoreless in the last three minutes while Cuba made a 7-0 run to finish out the game 66-58.

For Cuba Yayma Boulet scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Yakelyn Plutín had 12 points and 6 boards

In Japón Noriko Koiso had 12 pts, being the only Japanese player to score double digits

BRASIL 75 – ANGOLA 58

Brasil cruised to victory over Angola and booked a place in the final after beating easily Angola, 75-58 . Paulo Bassul used the game to move all his bench with his sights on Sunday’s final, against old friends, Cuba.

Brasil scored a 23-1 run to begin the game and cruised until the end of the game. The Brazilians regulated their effort but were well balanced both, offesively and defensively and just kept that distance in the score til the final buzzer.

Angola tried to make a comeback over and over again but Bassul’s girls didn’t struggle to keep their advantage. Angola would make an 6-0 run at the very end of the game to put her team 58-75

In Brasil Kelly Da Silva and Micaela Martins scored 10 a piece, Ega added 11 pts and 7 board, while in Angola Nassecela Mauricio lead her team one more time with16 pts and 10 rebounds, joined by Astrida Vicente’s 12 pts, and Irene Guerreiro 10