Japan women claimed a 102:97 victory over Mali at the FIBA World Cup on Thursday, a result that keeps their campaign alive in a group where every point matters. The hosts worked a short corner to open the scoring and never looked back, though Mali certainly had their say by then.
Japan came in with some nerves, having picked up two narrow defeats against Belgium in August before beating South Korea. That fourth straight loss against Phoenix had done nothing for confidence, and to be fair, this match tested them in ways those friendlies hadn't.
Mali arrived with mixed fortunes — a heavy 58:97 loss to Spain standing out, but also a comfortable 97:74 win over South Sudan. They had one foot in trouble after that Belgium defeat, and this win against a proper opponent could shift the mood.
Japan's shooting was the difference. They hit 20 of their 35 three-point attempts while Mali managed just 9 from 23. The visitors dominated the glass with 38 rebounds to 22, but that advantage never translated into enough possessions to close the gap.
The scoreline tells the story of a game decided in stretches. Japan played the second half a man up in terms of shooting accuracy, and Mali, despite their rebounding, could not find the rhythm to get over the line.