Haruna Kasagi helps Denso get past Cheongju KB (Photo FIBA)
Haruna Kasagi provided the stabilizing presence Denso badly needed to withstand Cheongju KB, 80-65, on Thursday night to stay unbeaten heading into the FIBA WBL Asia semi-finals.
The former Japan youth team standout finished with 20 points, including 12 in the fourth as she almost single-handedly repelled the opposition after the Stars tried to come back from down 18 entering the frame.
She capped off her takeover with a dagger triple off a Mai Kawai assist, pushing their lead to 76-60 with 1:43 remaining which finally doused cold water to their WKBL counterparts’ rally once and for all.
“She’s one of the players that we trust,” said head coach Vladimir Vuksanovic. “She scored the big shots because she was open. And that was a team effort; for her to be open, she executed well. She played well.”
Kasagi shot an excellent 8-for-10 from the floor, including a 3-of-4 clip from deep, and also had 3 rebounds and 3 steals as her efforts ultimately enabled the Iris to clinch the top spot in Group B with a clean 2-0 record.
With that, the W League champions have forged a showdown with the no. 2 team of Group A in Cathay Life in the Semi-Finals, set this Saturday, October 24, still at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium.
“They’re a good team. They play strongly. I haven’t seen them much, but I saw that they’re really strong on the ball, they drive strong, they have two players inside that are very skilled,” said the Serbian mentor of the Tigers.
“But, yeah, it’s the Semi-Finals. We expect to increase the pace of our basketball, they’re going to play the way they want, so we will see who will prevail. But it’s a good team,” Vuksanovic continued.
Maki Takada was the only other player in double figures for Denso with 12 points and 7 rebounds, as her steady presence amidst the team’s frenetic pace enabled the team to lead by as many as 23 points.
“We haven’t really watched a lot of film. But it’s not really about what they’re going to do; it’s about playing our basketball, if we can play up to our standards. That’s what we’re going to focus on,” said Takada.
Cheongju, on the other hand, were led by Na Yunjeong with 15 points. Japanese reinforcement Sara Sakai backed her up with 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists as the tandem played a key role in their fourth-quarter attack.
With the loss, the Stars will head into the semi-finals as the no. 2 team of the group with a 1-1 record, and will be taking on inaugural WBL Asia champions Sichuan Yuanda Meile, the best team of Group A with 2-0 card.
Sichuan dim Akari, reach Semi-Finals unbeaten
Sichuan Yuanda Meile swept their way into the semi-finals following a 94-73 blowout of Akari at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium.
The Pandas erupted for 30 points in the second canto to turn a narrow 3-point lead to a 53-33 spread entering the break, and the game would never be in doubt since as they cruised to their second win in as many games.
With this solid follow-up to their 92-70 conquest of Cathay Life on opening day, the league’s inaugural champions have clinched the top spot in Group A and will be taking on the 2-seed of Group B in the ‘Final Four.’
This result has also allowed the Tigers to secure a ticket to the next round, coming in as the second-best team of the pool with a 1-1 record, with their first win coming at the expense of the Philippine representative as well.
“The semi-finals is gonna be tougher for us. I think today’s game helped our team a lot. It helped us to adapt and adjust to the intensity of games,” head coach Yang Yi said. “We’re excited for the semi-finals.”
Sara Blicavs continued her fine play and finished with 22 points, spiked by a 3-of-6 clip from beyond the arc, alongside 9 rebounds to lead all scorers.
Ditto with Chennedy Carter, with the WNBA veteran firing 21 points on top of 6 rebounds and 4 steals toward earning Player of the Game honors, as Sichuan leaned on their star combo in dimming the Sparks.
But the locals sure did their part as well, with seasoned forward Gao Song contributing 11 points and 6 rebounds. Su Yingying also chipped in 11 as the quartet headed the balanced attack in the lopsided victory.
“As far as the semi-finals is concerned, me and my team are looking forward to it,” Carter said. “We have a great coaching staff, a great club that’s gonna get us prepared and ready. I’m excited to play on the next day.”
Saicha Grant-Allen led Akari with 22 points and 9 rebounds as they remained in search of a win in their maiden WBL Asia campaign.
Stefanie Berberabe made 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists. Jhazmin Joson had 11 points while Bre’Amber Scott added 10 for the Sparks, who actually took a 16-14 lead early until the opposition caught its rhythm.
Akari will try to finish their tournament on a high note when they take on the Indian Railways in the Classification 5-6 preceding the semi-finals on Saturday in a battle of teams eyeing to avoid a winless campaign.
