BANGKOK (FIBA U19 World Championship for Women) - Australia's U19 Gems and Spain marched ahead unbeaten - with six wins from as many games each - as the last eight line-up was completed at the eighth FIBA U19 World Championship for Women on Wednesday.
The quarterfinals are slated for Friday after Thursday's rest day.
Australia was rather perfunctory in beating Brazil 72-51 in their final Group E eight-final round and headed into a quarterfinal clash with Canada.
Canada defeated China 75-67 to finish fourth in Group F and booked their first quarterfinal berth in 24 years.
Spain fought tooth and nail with Russia before emerging 70-54 winners and finished on top of Group F. The current European U18 women's champion will take on Lithuania, who lost 57-61 to Argentina earlier.
Argentina will play Russia.
The fourth quarterfinal will feature France taking on twice defending champions the US, after the two finished their eight-final round with contrasting wins.
The Americans ended their eight-final round campaign handing down a 109-68 defeat to Japan. France staged a superb second half rally to win 73-58, and thereby oust their rivals out of contention, against the Czech Republic.
Group E
France's rally was the most conspicuous result of the day.
Down 29-40 at the end of the first half, France outscored the Czechs 14-4 in the first five minutes of the third quarter and then hung on grimly to score the triumph.
Margaux Okou scored eight of her game-high 21 points in the opening minutes of the third quarter to spark the French resurgence.
Medelome Medenou scored 18 points and Hhaydia Minte scored 10 along with her game-high 10 rebounds.
Katerina Bortonova was the highest scorer for the Czechs with 16 points, but only two of them in the second half.
Argentina outscored Lithuania 17-8 in the final five minutes and emerged winners.
Ornella Santana scored eight points of her 11 for the game during the final five minutes
Agostina Burani had kept Argentina in the race with her 12 points and seven rebounds.
Egle Siksniute had a game-high 18 points for Lithuania, but only four in the fourth quarter.
Elizabeth Cambage was the leader in the Aussie rampage yet again.
The 203-cm centre played for less than half the game yet scored 20 points.
Bree Farley chipped in with 10 points.
Tatiane Nacimiento was the highest scorer for Brazil with 12 points.
Group F
Kayla Alexander set off the Canadian charge against China.
Alexander who had nothing noteworthy in the first quarter scored 10 points of her 16 points for the game, and collected seven of the 11 rebounds, in the second quarter and to put Canada on the cruise mode.
Taryn Wicijowski was consistent in all the quarters and scored a game-high 20 points and 13 rebounds.
Lu Wen was the highest scorer for China with 20 points.
The US recorded a 12-0 blitz in the first five minutes and set the ball rolling in their favour.
US coach Carol Owens used all her 12 players for more than 10 minutes each and all of them scored - six of them in double digits.
Taber Spani was the highest scorer for the US with 15 points with Lasondra Barrett contributing 14.
Rateisa Fukano was the highest scorer for Japan with 15 points.
Vega Gimeno recorded a a game-high 17 points in Spain's triumph over Russia.
Vanessa Ble was the other notable scorer for Spain with 14 points.
Tatiana Petrushina was the highest scorer for Russia with 13 points.
Friday's schedule
Classification
13:00 Czech Republic v China A2
15:15 Brazil v Japan A2
Quarter-Finals
13:00 Australia v Canada A1
15:15 France v USA A1
17:30 Argentina v Russia A1
19:45 Lithuania v Spain A1
Note: All timings Bangkok local time (GMT+7). A1-A2 denote Arenas 1 and 2.
