BEIJING (Olympics): Defending gold medalists the USA scored a rousing 97-41 over FIBA Africa champions Mali in the Olympic women’s basketball competition on Wednesday. The USA have so far won all their three outings, while Mali have lost all their three.
In other games in Group B, hosts China powered their way past New Zealand 80-63 and EuroBasket 2007 silver medalists Spain overcame initial hiccups to beat the Czech Republic 74-55.
On Friday, China take on Mali hoping to improve their 2-1 record and Spain, also at 2-1, will play the USA. New Zealand and Czech Republic, both at 1-2, clash with each other.
Lisa Leslie set an Olympic record with a 7-for-7 from the field to lead the American rampage. The Los Angeles Sparks center, who thus bettered the 6-for-6 field record set by Katie Smith (2000) and Nikki McCray (1996), topped the scoring for her side with 16 points.
Mali, playing without their captain Hamchetou Maiga, out due to an ankle injury suffered in the previous game, surprised the Wukesong Arena with their 8-0 run to nudge ahead. But that proved a mere flash in the pan.
USA, who had scored the first seven points of the game, hit back to seize control and closed the first quarter 24-12. And in the next 10 minutes, the Anne Donovan-trained team had surged ahead 51-28. They coasted home over the final two quarters.
Eleven out of the 12 players scored – Delisha Milton-Jones being the exception – as the USA posted their 28th win on the trot.
Aminata Sininta, whose three-pointer had given Mali that unexpected lead, topped the scoring for the African outfit with 13 points.
China, who had lost to the USA on Sunday, left nothing to chance right from the beginning.
Center Chen Nan played the best game of the tournament yet, with a game-high 26 points and pulled down a staggering 17 rebounds as the hosts raced away 26-18 to end the first quarter never to turn back. That 18 of her points and 10 of her boards came in the first quarter spoke for the Chen’s contribution for the Tom Maher-trained squad to establish early command.
“I just know that they intended to beat us but we have more talent,” Maher, who had coached New Zealand at the Athens Olympics 2004, said.
“We play together and we never quit. We should have won the game and we did. We took care of business and I'm happy at it,” the Aussie added.
China surged ahead by 18 points at one stage and then closed the first half 48-31 ahead to consolidate their position.
Angela Marino and Jillian Harmon, who had both played under Maher four years ago, when the Tall Ferns made the last eight stage, shared the scoring for New Zealand with 14 points apiece.
“The reality is we have a shot,” Maher spoke of his side’s chances ahead.
“If we get a good draw,” Maher added, “and we can pull an upset, well, there’s a medal.”
“It's not unrealistic.”
Harmon regarded Chen as “an awesome player”, saying “she finishes really well with her left hand.”
Spain were on the back foot as they began their game against the Czech Republic.
The Evaristo Perez-trained team trailed by as many as nine points towards the end of first quarter, but over the next nine minutes kept their opponents to just three points before tying the score at 23. That was with 4:33 left in the second quarter. Spain then nudged ahead 28-27 at the end of the first half.
Spain seized charge of the proceedings early in the third quarter. Two three pointers Amaya Valdemoro and one each from Elisa Aguilar and Anna Montanana fired Spain into a 58-38 lead going into the final quarter. And the cantered away without any further trouble.
Montanana topped the scoring for the game with 20 points, while Valdemoro had 13.
“I think our defensive intensity was the key to our game,” Montanana said.
“We didn't do that against China and New Zealand but we had done that in our preparation games,” the Perfumerías Avenida forward added.
“We spoke about it before the game. We knew that without that, we have nothing. We started a little flat but we stepped up the pressure from the second quarter and when we do that, it's difficult for a team to play against us."
Spain forced 24 turnovers on the Czechs, two more than their own, and were 34-29 in rebounds.
Eva Viteckova was the Czechs’ highest scorer.
“We lost stupidly. We were always late and we played bad defense. They scored, like, 30 points in the third quarter and that’s too much. We couldn’t come back after that," Czech center Ivana Vecerova said.
ScoresSpain 74 (Anna Montanana 20, Amaya Valdemoro 13, Isa Sanchez 10) bt Czech Republic 55 (Eva Viteckova 12, Hana Machova 11). Quarterwise Scores: 15-21, 28-27, 58-38.
China 80 (Chen Nan 26, Lijie Miao 15) bt New Zealand 63 (Jillian Harmon 14, Angela Marino 14). Quarterwise Scores: 26-18, 48-31, 65-48.
USA 97 (Lisa Leslie 16, Seimone Augustus 12) bt Mali 41(Aminata Sininta 13). Quarterwise Scores: 24-12, 51-28, 76-33.
FIBA
