Saki Hayashi scored 23 points and Japan shot its direction into the quarterfinals with a 102-83 defeat of Nigeria on Monday in the final pool play game for the two teams.
Yuki Miyazwa added 19 points for the host country, which made 19 3-pointers in the game.
Japan (2-1) got off to a quick beginning from the field, making seven of its first nine 3-point attempts to go up 30-22 get-togethers first quarter. Nigeria slice its shortfall to 38-36 preceding Japan scored 13 straight points to take control. Hayashi had sequential 3-pointers sandwiched around a take of the inbounds pass in the middle of them. She had 20 points in the half, hitting six 3-pointers.
Japan led 51-38 at halftime in the wake of hitting 12 of its 19 3-point attempts in the opening 20 minutes. The Japanese team didn’t chill much in the second half as Nigeria always was unable to get back in the game.
Nigeria (0-3) became the most recent African nation to not dominate a match in the Olympics. Nigeria was the last team from the continent to be successful in the Olympics when that team went 1-5 in the 2004 Athens Games.
Victoria Macaulay scored 18 to lead Nigeria.