HIROSHIMA -- Team Japan suffered its second loss in as many days Thursday night.
The host nation's 104-55 setback to Spain eliminated it from the FIBA World Championship. Japan finished Group B play with a 1-4 record. Spain, which blew open the contest in the third quarter, improved to 5-0 at the Hiroshima Prefectural Sports Center and left town as the winner of the six-team field.
The World Championship shifts to Saitama on Saturday when 16 teams begin the Eighth Final Round. In addition to Spain, Germany (4-1), Angola (3-2) and New Zealand (2-3) qualified for the next phase of competition. Panama (0-5) departed as the group's lone winless team. Spain now prepares to face Serbia and Montenegro in its next game.