WUHAN (2015 FIBA Asia Women's Championship) - Wily guard Asami Yoshida came through in crunch time with a magical shot in traffic and helped defending champions Japan to pull the rug from under hosts China, 57-56, in Level I (Group A) of the 2015 FIBA Asia Women's Championship.

Yoshida hit the go-ahead basket with three seconds left to play, a few plays after Huang Hongpin's free-throw gave the home team the slimmest of margins, 56-55, with 51 seconds remaining.

China still had a chance to take a shot for the win, but Sanae Motokawa forced a turnover off of Huang Sijing to put the outcome beyond doubt.

Ramu Tokashiki bounced back from a subpar performance in Japan's previous game to record 19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks and 2 steals in leading Japan to their fourth win in as many games. No other Japanese player scored in double-figures, but three of Tokashiki's teammates had 6 or more points in the low-scoring affair.

As for China, Shao Ting stood out with a team-high 15 points, while Gao Song added 12 points and 9 rebounds. It was a frustrating result for the Chinese, who played catch-up most of the game, seized the upper-hand late only to find themselves on the short end of the stick when time expired.

Japan look to complete the Group Phase unbeaten when they face Thailand on Wednesday, while China hope to recover against Chinese Taipei.

Turning Point: It was a see-saw game all throughout, filled with many twists and turns, and surely it was Yoshida’s heroics in the end that provided the final turnabout as Japan snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Stats Don’t Lie: In a game decided by a solitary point, China will surely look back and rue their seven misses from the free throw line. As a team, China were miserable from the charity stripe, hitting just 5 of their 12 attempts. Chen Xiaojia was the chief culprit, going 0-of-4.

Game Hero: Yoshida not only hit the game-winner, she also made her presence felt throughout the game in various ways. The Japanese captain grabbed 10 rebounds, handed out 7 assists and got 2 steals in another amazing all-around display of skill.

The Bottom Line: For some observers, this game could be seen as a preview of the Final, especially since both teams entered the fray without any losses. Because they led most of the way before finally squeaking by in the end game, however, it seems Japan are made of sterner stuff - at least for now. Count on the Chinese to play much steadier if these two countries meet again down the road.

FIBA