Japan¡¯s women¡¯s basketball team got off to a great start in its quest for a spot on the podium with a thrilling 74-70 win over France in their first game in Group B on Tuesday.
The hosts and the French squad went toe-to-toe ¡ª while employing completely different styles ¡ª throughout a seesaw affair that saw 17 lead changes.
France, the world¡¯s No. 5 ranked team, got much of its scoring from post-up plays by the 193-cm Sandrine Gruda in the final quarter, but Japan did not back away and responded by draining key 3-pointers down the stretch.

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