Lebanon squeaks past Japan 80-78 in the 5-8 classification game in 2011 FIBA Asia Championship
On Saturday, September 24, 2011, Lebanon managed to squeak past Japan 80-78 in a closely contested 5-8 classification-round game of the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship.
The Lebanese side will now battle it out with Iran for the 5th spot in the tournament. On the other hand, Japan will face Chinese Taipei to decide for the 7th place in the competition.
Samuel Hoskin ended the game with 16 points and 16 boards to lead Lebanon, who also got 16 points, three rebounds and the same number of assists from Mohammad Ibrahim. Elie Estephane also tallied 16 points.
The turning point of the game came late in the period when Ibrahim capped a 15-2 surge with a three to win the game for Lebanon.
Japan made a solid start and recorded a 12-2 run straight away. The Japanese continued to assert their dominance on the front court and by the time the first 10 minutes ended, they were leading Lebanon 23-15. Takuya Kawamura led the early assault for Japan with nine points.
Stunned by an early blitz, the Lebanese picked up the pace early in the second and keyed by two three pointer by E. Stephane, they reeled off an 11-5 spurt to tie the score at 28, with 6:06 minutes remaining in the first half.
However, Lebanon went cold after and failed to go ahead. Keijuro Matsui knocked down two treys in the ensuing passage and pushed Japan’s lead to 34-30. Lebanon replied quickly, but Japan hung tight in the remaining minutes and finished the first half just one-point in front at 42-41.
The third quarter continued to be see-saw battle. The scores were tied on three occasions and the lead changed four times during the period. Samuel Hoskin’s five points in an 8-0 surge allowed the Lebanese to grab their first lead at 53-48, but Japan rallied to regain a one point (61-62) advantage when the period closed.
With some quick possessions early in the fourth quarter, Japan was able to stretch its lead up to 11 points (65-76) at the mid-way in the period. The Lebanese however didn’t give up and launched a 15-2 run, capped by Ibrahim’s three from beyond the arc to turn the tables. Ibrahim also made a crucial steal in the clutch allowing Lebanon a narrow and a chance to claim the 5th position.
For Japan, Takuya Kawamura scored 20 points while Tomoo Amino accounted for 17 points.
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