The gulf in class was evident early on as Denso Iris dismantled the Indian Railways defence with a relentless perimeter attack. By the time the half-time whistle blew, the Japanese side had established a commanding 58-18 lead. Their efficiency from beyond the arc was a defining feature of the first half, with the team sinking five three-pointers in the opening quarter followed by another 10 in the second, effectively neutralising any hope of an Indian comeback.
Clinical execution and scoring depth
The second half offered no respite for Indian Railways, who struggled to manage the intensity of their opponents. Turnovers proved costly for the Indian side, with Denso Iris consistently capitalising on these errors to generate easy fast-break points. The Japanese team showcased significant depth, with six players reaching double figures in scoring. Haruna Kasagi led the charge with 23 points, while Minami Yabu and Mo Shiraishi contributed 16 points each. Sokhna Sylla, Hanami Shinohara, and Mai Kawai also reached double digits, finishing with 12, 11, and 10 points respectively.
Sichuan Yuanda Meile secure win in Group-A
In other tournament action, Chinese side Sichuan Yuanda Meile made a successful start to their campaign by defeating the Cathay Life Tigers 92-70 in a Group-A fixture. The victory was driven by a powerful offensive display from their international recruits. Australian power forward Sara Blicavs spearheaded the scoring with 27 points, while American guard Chennedy Carter added 22 points. Together, the duo accounted for 49 of their team's total points, helping to overcome the challenge posed by the Taipei-based side, who were led by Chu Chu with 16 points and Hui-Ju Liu with 14.
