The scouting report on the Japanese women's under-18 basketball team left no major surprises for the Kayla Gordon and the B.C. Selects.
They expected a fast and aggressive team fine-tuning its game against a team of tall Canadians to prepare for a run at the Asian Games and that's precisely what the B.C. girls got Thursday night at the Langley Events Centre.
Having lost the first game of the three-game series 71-62 on Wednesday, the B.C. Selects overcame an 0-for-12 start and evened the series, beating Japan 71-67 Thursday.
"It was a really unique experience, they were so fast but we had a definite height advantage on them," said Gordon, 18, a Prince George native who just finished her first CIS season with the Trinity Western University Spartans.
"The game was very physical, especially with FIBA rules. They let a lot more contact go and that was a bit of an adjustment. I like being able to play like that not have to worry about it. I like the physical aspect of the game just as long as people are in control of their bodies and it's not dangerous."
Gordon, a five-foot-11 forward who made the Canada West All-Rookie team, missed the series-opener while attending the Spartans' awards banquet but had plenty of playing time Thursday. Gordon scored four points in her first-ever international game. Lauren Yearwood of Oak Bay secondary school led B.C. with 18 points, while UBC Thunderbirds veteran Harleen Sidhu picked up 16.
Coached by former national women's team coach Allison McNeill, the B.C. Selects are a blend of six former provincial team players now with university teams and five Grade 11 players from the Lower Mainland.
"We only had a couple practices and our offence kind of came together so it was nice to get a bit of flow [Thursday] and Saturday will be even better," said Gordon.
The third game of the series is set for tonight in Vancouver at UBC's War Memorial Gym.
