Australia rally to beat Japan, secure semifinal spot

Australia rallied past Japan 79-67 to finish as Group B leader, securing a semifinal spot at the FIBA Women's Asia Cup on Tuesday.

Down by nine points at halftime, Australia bounced back strongly in the second half, outscoring Japan 37-16 to secure a dramatic win.

Tanaka Kokoro (R) of Japan competes during the Group B match between Australia and Japan at the FIBA Women's Asia Cup Division A 2025 in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, July 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

Four Australian players scored in doubles figures, with Stephanie Reid leading the way with 15 points. Zitina Lusia Aokuso and Sara Blicavs added 14 and 13 points respectively.

"We know how good they are in transition and on the 3-point line. We did a poor job on that in the first half, but holding Japan to 16 points in the second half is a credit to the players' toughness," said Australia coach Paul Goriss.

Both teams remained unbeaten after two rounds, and the clash between them lived up to the hype, with a nip-and-tuck first quarter ending in Australia's favor at 26-22.

The two sides traded baskets from beyond the arc early in the second quarter, with the score knotted at 35-35 at the midpoint of the quarter. Stephanie Mawuli scored seven straight points as Japan began to take a stranglehold of the game en route to a 51-42 halftime lead.

Struggling against the lower-ranked Lebanon and the Philippines in the past two games, Japan rediscovered its offensive groove in the first half, nailing nine 3-pointers on 17 attempts for an impressive 52.9%, compared to Australia's 3-of-11 effort from beyond the arc.

Australia clawed back into contention after the interval, bringing the game level at 59-59 heading into the final frame.

Australia was not done in its comeback efforts, attacking the basket consecutively to take a firm grip on the game. Leading 65-63 with six minutes remaining, the Opals had a decisive 7-0 run to break the game open and never looked back.

"I'm very proud of my team. They did everything that I asked them to do, they executed, they played very hard," said Corey Gaines, head coach of Japan.

Mawuli top scored with 19 points for Japan.