Harbour Breeze Select, a combination of Harbour U19 and U17 players, went down 96-84 to the Japan U16 national team in an entertaining game at Eventfinda Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The scores were tied at 69 points each with 7 minutes to play but Japan finished the stronger to close out a deserved win.

The Breeze Select were left to rue a slow start when they were outscored 30-17 in the opening quarter.

Tayla Dalton and Jazz Kailahi-Fulu combined for ten point at the outset of the second period as the Japanese advantage was trimmed to five points. However the visitors closed the first half with an 11-2 run to lead 50-33 at the interval.

Rikki Fiatau opened the second half scoring, and her inside presence along with that of Kailahi-Fulu, posed some problems for the Japanese interior defenders. A couple of neat scores from Emme Shearer reduced the deficit to single figures and when Jess Moors converted an And-1 play it was a two possession game (53-57).

A corner three from Dalton made the margin a single point and when Jordyn Maddix drained a triple from the same spot Breeze Select had its first lead of the game. Japan scored with the final play of the third quarter to tie proceedings at 61-61.

Tessa Tomokino, Mareta Davidson and Moors added to the Breeze Select tally and the game was nicely poised at 69 points apiece three minutes into the final stanza.  However from there Japan put on a scoring clinic – they knocked down six triples in the closing minutes and rattled off 35 points in the final quarter to win 96-84.

Dalton led all scorers with 26 points to go with 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Kailahi-Fulu (11 points) and Emme Shearer (10 points) were in double figures whilst Maddix and Fiatau scored 9 points apiece.

For Japan Yuki Hirashita (24 points) was a constant threat from the perimeter (4/7 3PG) and captain Kanon Nakamura chimed in with 18 points.

Breeze Select 84– Dalton 26, Kailahi-Fulu 11, Shearer 10, Fiatau 9, Maddix 9, Davidson 6, Tomokino 6, Moors 5,  Manolas 2

Japan U1696- Hirashita 24, Nakamura 18, Hanashima 14, Yamada 10