Japan beats Australia in women’s Olympic warm-up series

Japan completed a morale-boosting sweep of world No. 3 Australia with a 95-87 win in two games of the women’s Olympic basketball warm-up series in Sapporo on Friday.

Japan, ranked ninth in the world, led 50-43 at halftime and held off a comeback attempt by Australia at the Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center, also known as Hokkai Kitayell.

Saki Hayashi led Japan in scoring with 19 points, while Evelyn Mawuli followed with 13 points a day after she scored 20 points to lead the host nation to a 96-85 win in the first game.

Japan’s Evelyn Mawuli (R) is in action during the fourth quarter against Australia in the second game of their Olympic warm-up series in women’s basketball at the Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center in Sapporo on June 21, 2024. (Kyodo)

Australian Marianna Tolo scored the most points of the game with 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

The Japanese, who lost to the USA in the 2021 Olympic final, will face New Zealand in Tokyo on July 4 and 6.

Japan has to reduce its squad for the Olympic Games in Paris from the current 16 players to 12.

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