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ASIA CUP WOMEN: A rampaging 20-8 final quarter tonight in Szenchen rescued Australia from a potentially embarrassing loss to former tormentor Japan, Zitina Aokuso the lynchpin as the Opals pulled away for a 79-67 victory and first place in Group B, likely avoiding Group A leader China in the semi finals.

Only a loss by China to Korea would change that, which seems unlikely given the host nation is both titleholder and tournament favourite.

Then again though, it's risky to take too much for granted. After Japan limped past Lebanon and Philippines by a total of seven points while Australia toasted that duo by a combined 155 points, tonight's match seemed little more than another formality.

But the Opals have been Japan's bunny for a decade and Japan clearly believed that would continue tonight, especially after a withering 29-16 second period swept it to a robust 51-42 halftime buffer.

It almost seemed as if Japan was foxing in its earlier games, Stephanie Muwali alone delivering 14 second-quarter points.

Australia led 26-22 at the first break after Steph Reid (15 points, 9 assists) found Aokuso with a super slick pass to close the period.

In the second quarter though, it was a case of deja vu, harking back to the last Asia Cup and a huge intragroup loss to Japan. Opals coach at that series, Shannon Seebohm, saw his team lead into quarter-time, then drop it in the second due to an avalanche of 3-point bombs.

Two timeouts during the quarter found Seebohm drawing up offensive sets instead of addressing the obvious defensive errors.

Fast forward to tonight and Paul Goriss, across a similar second quarter momentum shift, used both time-outs as well ... to talk offence!

At that second time-out, the score was 49-40 to Japan so, you know, maybe addressing offence wasn't the right call. At halftime down 42-51, the Opals looked grounded.

But to Goriss' credit, that's where the deja vu of 2023 ended. The Opals' defence was demonstrably better immediately after the interval, Sara Blicavs (13 points, 4 rebounds and taking a key charge late) with a quick steal as Australia seized the momentum.

It held Japan to 8 points for the quarter while rattling on 17 to send the contest into the final period with scores locked at 59-59.

Again, the Opals' defence was first class, forcing shot-clock violations and rushed late attempts, and when Courtney Woods struck a 3-point bomb to turn a 67-63 lead into 70-63, Japan was broken.

Aokuso's 14-point (at 67 per cent), 8-rebound double made her a keyway colossus Japan was unable to curtail and defensively, the Opals again surrendered a meagre 8 points in the last quarter.

That was 16 for the half by Japan, less than it scored in each of the first two periods, Alex Fowler another Opal to shine yet again. 

GROUP A: China 110 d Indonesia 59; Korea 78 d New Zealand 76. New Zealand 75 d Indonesia 45, China v Korea.

GROUP B: Japan 72 d Lebanon 68; Australia Opals 115 (Sowah 19, Blicavs 17, Bibby 16, Fowler, Woods 11, Borlase 10; George, Bibby 10 rebs; Ellis, Reid 9 assts) d Philippines 39 (De Jesus 9, Pastrana, Panganiban 8; Animan 5 rebs; Castillo, Panganiban 2 assts). Australia Opals 113 (Bourne 15, Reid, Ellis 14, Bibby 12, Blicavs, Fowler, Woods 11, Sowah 10; Bibby 12 rebs; Reid, Woods 7 assts) d Lebanon 34 (Labban 11, Raffoul 9; Naassan 7 rebs; Raffoul, Naassan 2 assts); Japan 85 d Philippines 82. Australia Opals 79 (Reid 15, Aokuso 14, Blicavs 13, Fowler 11; Aokuso 8 rebs; Reid 9 assts) d Japan 67 (Mawuli 19, Tanaka 10, Tokashiki 8; Tonno, Takada 6 rebs; Tanaka 5 assts); Philippines v Lebanon (tomorrow).

Pics courtesy of fiba.com