MITO, IBARAKI PREF. ¨C Japan¡¯s women¡¯s basketball team concluded a two-game exhibition series sweep of Belgium with a 84-71 win at Adastria Mito Arena on Sunday.
Newcomer Saki Hayashi was the heroine for the second consecutive game as she knocked down five 3-pointers for the Akatsuki Five.
¡°I had a lot of high expectations after I played well on Friday and I was a little nervous today,¡± said the 24-year-old Hayashi, who was named the series¡¯ Most Valuable Player. ¡°But what I had to do was the same and I just did that.¡±
Hayashi was Japan¡¯s only player with double-digit points. But the team showed its depth with 11 more players scoring in the game. Forward Moeko Nagaoka was the squad¡¯s second-best scorer with nine points.
Japan, which nailed 18 3-point shots in its 91-75 win on Friday night, sank 12 from behind the arc in the second contest.
¡°We have about a year to go,¡± Japan head coach Tom Hovasse said of next year¡¯s Tokyo Olympics, in which the team hopes to win gold. ¡°We are working extremely hard, and want to win the gold medal in front of (the fans) by any means.¡±
For Belgium, which advanced to the semifinals at last year¡¯s FIBA Women¡¯s World Cup in Spain, Antonia Delaere led the team with 15 points and seven assists.
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