Gliders lose to Japan in heartbreaking fashion

Coming up against a formidable opponent in a tough environment, the performance should provide a huge boost of confidence, despite the tough loss.

“Really happy with today’s performance despite a one-point loss,” head coach, Stephen Charlton said.

“The girls pushed Japan all the way with a final second shot winning the game. Despite the disappointment of the loss it was a terrific effort by the Gliders.”

Annabelle Lindsay was the star for the Gliders, pouring in 32 points on 15-for-27 shooting from the field. Amber Merritt and Georgia Munro-Cook also chipped in with 12 and 11 points respectively.

Charlton was proud of the group postgame, singling out Lindsay’s star performance, before mentioning some of the other strong performances.

“Annabelle Lindsay was exceptional today with 32 points. I also have to mention Sarah Vinci and Taishar Ovens for their tireless work today.”

The Gliders gradually closed the gap on their Japanese opponents over the course of the four-day tour, and return home with a strong foundation to build on heading towards Tokyo 2020.

“We again showed that we can match it when we stick to our structures and trust it,” Charlton said.

Next up for the Gliders is Olympic qualification in November.

TOKYO – Sunday proved to be the Gliders best performance in their tour of Japan, though it ended in devastating fashion, as a clutch shot from the hosts with four seconds left sunk the Australians, 59-58.

Basketball Australia

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