This is the third loss for the Canadian team, which has not yet won a single match in Tokyo.
The team led by Matteo Feriani had started the last quarter with a six-point lead. However, the Japanese never relaxed, which allowed them to score many important dynasties.
Canadian hegemony early in the game
Despite the two teams’ lack of accuracy early in the game, Canada won in the first quarter. It seemed that tension had set in among the Japanese, who continued to miss many shots.
In the second quarter, the host nation’s good defensive play lost Canada’s lead. The Japanese managed to score a few minutes before the end of the first half. However, a Nicola Gunsen shot quickly put the two teams back in square one.
The Canadian team remained calm after that. Their anchors, Johnson and Anderson, redoubled their efforts to regain the lead. Anderson had four free baskets in minutes, allowing Canada to take an 11-point lead in the first half.
The second half is more plump
The Canadians came hesitantly in the second half and were slow to score. The Japanese seized the opportunity to weaken the Canadian advance. The Japanese Hiroaki Kozai in particular stood out.
But the numerous mistakes of the Japanese team played in the favor of the Canadians, who were able to maintain a weak lead until the beginning of the last quarter.
Then Colin Higgins made an unsportsmanlike mistake, allowing the Japanese to re-create the tie. Kozai’s three-point basket regained the lead late in the game, an advance the Canadians were unable to catch.
The Canadian national team will face its South Korean counterpart on Sunday.
