Not even a rampant display from forward Jillian Harmon could save the NZ Tall Ferns from a series defeat at the hands of Japan.

The home team finally broke clear of the Kiwi challenge in the opening minutes of the final quarter to eventually prevail 86-71 in the third and deciding game at Yamagata.

Harmon, who had struggled to find the basket over the first two encounters (6/19 FG), was feeling it from tip-off and finished with 34 points (14/22 FG, 6/7 FT) and 11 rebounds.

“She was very disappointed with how she had gone previously, although I thought she was pretty good in the first game for seven points, seven assists and 11 rebounds,” reflected coach Kennedy Hamilton-Kereama.

“As coaches, we talked about ways we could get her more shots, but she was a lot more aggressive today and did a much better job finishing around the basket.”

The first half saw both teams enjoy periods of dominance that swung the game one way, then the other.

Japan opened with the first five points, before the Kiwis put on a 10-2 run that edged them ahead. Their hosts matched that, then the Ferns closed the quarter with an 11-2 burst that gave them the advantage at the first break.

Harmon already had 13 points. New Zealand had turned the ball over six times, but also grabbed seven offensive rebounds to balance out the battle for possession.

“We came out firing, but we had scoring droughts at key times,” said Hamilton-Kereama. “The Japanese did a great job of pressuring us and we were struggling to execute the small things like uncontested layups.”

The Japanese grabbed the initiative midway through the second period with 12 unanswered points and arrived at halftime 47-40 on top. While the Tall Ferns had continued to give up the ball at an alarming rate, their superiority around the offensive glass had waned.

They were shooting well enough (58% FG), but their opportunities were drying up and they were getting caned by the referees again.

Sure enough, point guard Noni Wharemate picked up her fourth foul just seconds after she opened the second-half scoring and was forced to the bench, a major blow to the Kiwis’ comeback hopes.

Still, a trey from Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe and three three-point plays by Harmon kept them in contention, and with a quarter to play, the deficit was only five points.

But when Japan went 7-0 to start the final stanza, the margin was suddenly double figures and too big for the Ferns to haul back. Yet another three-point play from Harmon - she had six for the game - got them back within five with just under five minutes remaining, but the opposition came back with four straight baskets to seal the deal.

In the end, New Zealand shot well enough to win, but couldn’t create enough shots. Although they again suffered in the foul count, finally losing Wharemate with six minutes left, they did themselves no favours by converting just 9/17 attempts from the free-throw line, compared to their rivals’ 19/25.

Their early dominance under glass dropped right away and Japan actually finished with more second chances at the offensive end.

“In the end, I think fitness had a lot to do with the result,” said Hamilton-Kereama. “We tried to slow the game down and make it a half-court contest, because we couldn’t compete with them in the open court.

“To win international games, we need to keep teams to 65-75 points. For us, 86 was too many to give away.”

Only McMeeken-Ruscoe managed to follow Harmon into double-figure scoring. Forward Lisa Wallbutton, who had been the leading scorer over the first two games, was well contained (eight points, 4/6 FG), but grabbed 10 boards.

Ultimately, the tour did not produce the desired overall result. However, it did yield another international victory for the often underrated Tall Ferns - 77-74 at Sapporo - against higher ranked opposition bound for the FIBA World Championships later this year and hinted at their potential with a full-strength lineup.

Tall Ferns v Japan

Game Three - Yamagata

Tuesday, August 31
Japan 86 NZ Tall Ferns 71 (Jillian Harmon 34, Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe 11)
Q1 23-27
HT 47-40 (24-13)
Q3 61-56 (14-16)
FT 86-71 (25-15)

Japan win series 2-1