WUHAN (2015 FIBA Asia Women's Championship) – Defending champions Japan caught fire from downtown and had Rui Machida in scintillating form as they sunk India 131-31 at the 2015 FIBA Asia Women’s Championship in Wuhan.

Turning Point: Japan hit top gear from the starting line and were rampant early as they scorched their way into a 32-9 lead after the first quarter and it was on-way traffic for the remainder of the game.

Stats Don't Lie: India were outclassed in just about every department and it was three-point shooting where Japan truly made their mark. They made a monumental 17 triples and shot 53.1% from the arc.

Game Heroes: Al Mitani, Mika Kurihara, Mio Shinozaki and Chinatsu Yamamoto were all outstanding from long-distance as they combined for a mind-blowing 16 of 21 from outside. Kurihara led the way with six triples – although a 10 of 13 overall shooting effort from Shinozaki was excellent as she put up 25 points. However, Machida stole the show with a spectacular 16 assists.

The Bottom Line: India were never in contention after being blasted away early and the defending champions exposed their ruthless streak as they showed little mercy in despatching their opponents with real authority. Seeing their long-range game firing on all cylinders is an ominous sign for Japan’s rivals and after only 48 hours in Wuhan, they have made the statement that they don’t intend to relinquish their title easily. The added bonus has been the playmaking of Machida, with the spotlight having been on the returning Asami Yoshida. As for India, they will perhaps have been most disappointed with the 43-4 end to the game in the last ten minutes, since it will be hard enough for them to contemplate having hosts China up next.

FIBA