HIROSHIMA -- Live by the 3-pointer and die by the 3-pointer.

News photo Japan's Joji Takeuchi (right) and New Zealand's Casey Frank fight for the ball during the Tall Blacks' 60-57 win over host Japan on Wednesday in Hiroshima. AP PHOTO

This strategy has been a trademark of the undersized Japan National Team. On Wednesday night, New Zealand's 3-pointers proved to the final dagger in Japan's hopes of pulling off a second straight win.

The Tall Blacks drained six 3-pointers in the second half, sparking a 60-57 comeback victory in the FIBA World Championship's Group B play.

Kirk Penney drilled the game-winning 3-pointer with 31.7 seconds left. Teammate Mark Dickel missed two free throws with 1.3 seconds left after Japan couldn't convert on its previous possession.

Japan's desperation 3 was off the mark at the buzzer, "It was hard to lose this game," said a stunned Zeljko Pavlicevic, Japan's head coach. "We had an 18-point lead in the first half, and I never saw a team that doesn't have confidence with an 18-point lead."

New Zealand, which placed fourth at the 2002 World Championship is a veteran-ladden team. Japan's 12-man roster has nine players in their 20s. The team last played at worlds in 1998.

This lack of experience on the international level proved to be a decisive factor. Japan's 38-20 halftime advantage dwindled as the team struggled to execute its offense. It converted on only 4 of 23 field-goal attempts after the break.

"Three or four players didn't have confidence with that lead," Pavlicevic said bluntly.

From Baldwin's viewpoint, this lack of experience was evident, too. "There were a lot of possessions out there where Japan looked lost and couldn't create any shots," Baldwin observed.

Japan (1-3) faces 4-0 Spain in their Group B finale on Thursday at 7 p.m. New Zealand (1-3) meets winless Panama in an earlier game.

"We're not playing half as good we have been," New Zealand's Pero Cameron said, responding to a question about the team's potential. "To make the next (round), we need to play better tomorrow."

Baldwin added: "I just want to start out today by saying that was an incredibly brave effort by Japan and this is a nation that we have a lot of empathy with because they are playing as hard as they can and as well as they to gain respect in a fantastic world event at the world championship. My heart goes out to them. That was an incredibly brave effort."

On the other hand, Baldwin said his team was fortunate to win this game. His team shot 18-for-61 (30 percent) from the field.

"You can't look at the way we shot the ball and say that we had a right to win the game," he added.

In the third quarter, New Zealand trimmed Japan's double-digit lead to 41-36, using a 10-0 run (aided by four turnovers by Japan) to rally back. Takehiko Orimo (14 points) answered with a 3-pointer.

The Tall Blacks roared back into contention a quarter of nothing-but-net 3-pointers, including three by Cameron, dropping a 14-point deficit to 52-48 at the 5:09 mark.

New Zealand pulled within 53-50 on Penney's two free throws and then tied it at 57 on -- yep, you guessed it -- another Cameron 3-pointer with 1:24 left.

Japan's Joji Takeuchi was called for traveling with 47.4 seconds left. His blunder was a microcosm of Japan's second-half performance. The team had 12 turnovers in the final 20 minutes.

"During the game I lost concentration," said center Satoru Furuta, Japan's captain. "My concentration and strength didn't continue for all 40 minutes."

What Furuta said could've been repeated by each of the team's players. In the end, New Zealand's mental resolved was crucial.

"We have a number of good shooters on your team and you're supposed to keep shooting," said Cameron, who finished with 23 points and five 3s. "But when you start to miss 15, 16 shots in a row it starts to play with your mind."

New Zealand's woeful shooting performance before intermission included an 0-for-14 output on 3-point shots. Japan's Kei Igarashi nailed a pair of free throws to push the lead to 48-36 with 13.1 ticks on the clock in the third.