Akaho Himawari scored 15 points to help Japan beat China 61-58 in the women's basketball pre-Olympic warm-up series on Wednesday.

Zhang Ru helped China into a 5-0 lead at the start, and Luo Xinyu hit two three-pointers consecutively as China took a 20-13 lead after the first quarter.

Yang Shuyu (L) of China breaks through during a friendly match between China and Japan at the women's basketball pre-Olympic warm-up series in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, June 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Luo Yuan)

In the second quarter, China suffered a scoring drought which lasted over five minutes. Japan kept chasing the scoreline and led by two midway through the period. China then enhanced its offense and tied the Tokyo Olympic Games runners-up 31-31 at halftime.

Yang Shuyu finished her first basket in the third quarter, giving China a five-point cushion. Facing the host's solid defense, Mai Yamamoto and Evelyn Mawuli of Japan kept firing beyond the arc, cutting the deficit to three before the final quarter.

Yamamoto and Saki Hayashi continued the momentum and brought Japan to a 51-50 lead after the first two minutes in the last period. With three minutes and 51 seconds remaining, Himawari Akaho increased Japan's advantage to seven points through an easy layup.

China tried to claw back in the dying minutes, but Japan held on to seal the road win.

"We have played four tough games consecutively, the busy schedule is a challenge for us," said China coach Zheng Wei.

On Friday, China will face Japan again on the same court.

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