Japan clinched her first ever win against a European country in the FIBA World Cup 2023, after coming from behind to beat Finland 98-88.
Co-hosts Japan came from a staggering 18 points down to beat Finland 98-88 in front of a home crowd in Okinawa, knocking out its Group E rival.
US-born Josh Hawkinson scored 28 points and 19 rebounds for Japan, while 5’7” (1.72 meters) Yuki Kawamura tallied 15 in the fourth quarter alone to seal Japan’s first win of the tournament.
Japan had never won a FIBA World Cup match since 2006 so the players were very emotional.
Japan lost all five of its group games at the postponed 2019 World Cup held in China.
Japan’s head coach Tom Hovasse was very happy with the results, as it had paved the way for oncoming generations.
“This was a big win for us. We’re trying to create a new standard here for Japan and this was definitely a big step in the right direction,” Hovasse told a post-game news conference.
“The guys just never gave up. It was looking kinda bleak out there. We haven’t shot the ball well in the last three or four games. The fans were amazing.”
Japan and Australia are the only nations hailing from the eight Asia and Oceania-qualified teams to win in the tournament so far.
Japan faces a tough test in its final group game against world No. 3 Australia on Tuesday. The winner will likely advance to the second round. Group leaders Germany have already qualified.
