In a historic moment, Japan carved their place in the annals of basketball history by securing a triumphant 76-73 victory over China, completing a flawless sweep of Window 1 in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers on Sunday at the Ariake Coliseum.

Propelled by the unwavering support of their dedicated home fans, the team overcame a sluggish start, surged ahead during the middle quarters, and successfully fended off a late-game comeback attempt, securing a victory against China in a significant international basketball competition—a feat not accomplished in nearly 90 years.

The most recent instance of Japan prevailing over their continental counterpart occurred during the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany, when they secured a decisive 35-19 victory.

Yudai Baba played a pivotal role in the momentous victory, showcasing his prowess with an impressive 24 points on a 60-percent field goal accuracy, including a 4-of-6 performance from beyond the arc. Additionally, he contributed with 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, contributing significantly to Japan's flawless 2-0 record at the conclusion of the first window.

In a strategic move by Coach Tom Hovasse, the seasoned big man Josh Hawkinson played a pivotal role in the recent matchup, contributing significantly with a double-double performance. Hawkinson showcased his basketball prowess by scoring 14 points and grabbing an impressive 13 rebounds. Notably, this decision came after Coach Hovasse had initially chosen newcomer Josh Harrellson in their first game against Guam, where the team secured a convincing 77-56 win last Thursday. The coach's thoughtful utilization of both players reflects a strategic approach tailored to the dynamics of each game and opponent.

The floor generals played a crucial role in stabilizing the team's performance during their impressive comeback trail. Yuki Kawamura contributed 12 points, along with 4 rebounds and 3 assists, showcasing his all-around skills, while Yuki Togashi added 8 points.

Facing an initial 14-3 deficit, Japan showcased resilience and strategic prowess as they mounted a comeback, ultimately seizing the lead in the latter part of the second period. The turning point arrived in the subsequent frame, with Togashi propelling them to a 55-46 advantage with just 2:10 left on the clock, solidifying their position for the remainder of the game.

However, the path to victory was anything but straightforward thereafter. Soichiro Inoue had an opportunity to secure the win with 1:25 remaining but faced difficulties at the free-throw line, going 0/3. Despite this, a turnover by China proved pivotal, and Hawkinson capitalized on the opportunity with a dunk, bringing the score to 75-70 with 1:09 left on the clock.

Cheng Shuaipeng added to the tension by converting a desperate three-point attempt, bringing them within two points. Even with a chance to extend the lead, Makoto Hiejima only managed to split his foul shots with 6.6 seconds remaining. However, the Chinese missed a potential game-tying three-pointer as time expired, allowing the team to secure the victory.

"It was our first win [against China] after 88 years and as Coach said, it was a great win today. One of the positives of this game was that we were able to play physically throughout the whole game, for 40 minutes." 

"That was.a great win for us. I told the tema after the game this type of win against a really quality team really raises everybody's confidence a little bit. It's a step along the process that we're going through right now which is Paris and it's a big step towards our goal. I was really glad we could pull it out. It was a tough one. Beginning of the game wasn't going well, they were beating us up on the boards and then everybody just tightened it up a little bit, started doing things a little bit better, and Baba hit some huge threes, he was on fire today and his defense was amazing. We all just did our roles and did our jobs and thankful we could get the win.  A long time coming. After getting beated by China two and a half years ago, it's a pretty sweet win for us." - Tom Hovasse, Head Coach, Japan

"They took advantage of their homecourt. They imposed their aggressiveness in certain moments of the game. With the traps, we knew it was coming. They were super aggressive. They created a lot of problems in our execution. Nevertheless we had a chance to tie the game and we had a chance to decide the game with the last shot. They're a team who bases their game on shooting three-pointers out of the creations of their quick guards and I think tonight, Yudai Baba was exceptional. We couldn't find the cure to stop him. And their big man Hawkinson, who in tough moments made some good decisions and for us it was crucial ... in the end, we're a very young team. We're missing some veteran players due to their problems and we're on our path to continue working, continue giving experience to this young team and this was the best place to gain that experience." - Aleksandar Djordjevic, Head Coach, China

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