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Bench Warmer
Hey guys
It is USA vs Aus for the gold in womens basketball at the olympics.
Feel free to trash talk here
I only ask that you keep it good natured.
Please don't step over the line.
The U.S. women's basketball team passed its first test of the Olympics, beating Russia in its closest contest in Beijing. Now it's on to a fourth straight gold medal game.
Diana Taurasi scored 21 points and Tina Thompson added 15 to help the U.S. pull away from Russia 67-52 on Thursday night in the semifinals. The Americans will face either Australia in the gold medal game Saturday. The U.S. will be looking to win its fourth straight Olympic gold medal.
The U.S. had been averaging 99.2 points as they cruised through the first six games, winning by 43 points a contest. The closest win was a 38-point rout of Spain, in which the U.S. only led by five at the half.
However the Americans hadn't played a team as good as Russia, which had been inconsistent during the Olympics - barely winning games in pool play. In the quarterfinals, the Russians trailed Spain by 18 in the first half before rallying for an 84-65 victory.
"We knew it wasn't going to be easy as Russia is a very balanced team," said Taurasi, who hit five 3-pointers and had nine rebounds.
For nearly 23 minutes Russia gave the U.S. all it could handle, taking a 38-33 lead on Maria Stepanova's bank shot with 7:17 left in the third quarter.
Then the Americans scored the next 12 points.
Thompson hit a tough turnaround jump shot to start the run. A 3-pointer by Katie Smith and another by Taurasi, baskets by Thompson and Lisa Leslie gave the U.S. a 45-38 cushion.
Stepanova finally ended Russia's drought with a foul line jumper with 3:25 left in the period it was the last points they'd score in the quarter as the U.S. led 48-40 going into the final period.
Russia could get no closer than nine in the fourth quarter.
Stepanova scored 14 points to lead Russia, which will play in Sunday's bronze medal game.
U.S.-born Becky Hammon, a naturalized Russian citizen, didn't score until making a free throw 30 seconds into the fourth quarter. She hit her only field goal with 2:52 left and Russia down by 14. She finished the game with three points going 1-for-6 from the field.
The U.S. has won 32 straight games in the Olympics with their last loss coming to the Unified team in the semifinals of the 1992 Barcelona Games.
It is USA vs Aus for the gold in womens basketball at the olympics.
Feel free to trash talk here
I only ask that you keep it good natured.
Please don't step over the line.
The U.S. women's basketball team passed its first test of the Olympics, beating Russia in its closest contest in Beijing. Now it's on to a fourth straight gold medal game.
Diana Taurasi scored 21 points and Tina Thompson added 15 to help the U.S. pull away from Russia 67-52 on Thursday night in the semifinals. The Americans will face either Australia in the gold medal game Saturday. The U.S. will be looking to win its fourth straight Olympic gold medal.
The U.S. had been averaging 99.2 points as they cruised through the first six games, winning by 43 points a contest. The closest win was a 38-point rout of Spain, in which the U.S. only led by five at the half.
However the Americans hadn't played a team as good as Russia, which had been inconsistent during the Olympics - barely winning games in pool play. In the quarterfinals, the Russians trailed Spain by 18 in the first half before rallying for an 84-65 victory.
"We knew it wasn't going to be easy as Russia is a very balanced team," said Taurasi, who hit five 3-pointers and had nine rebounds.
For nearly 23 minutes Russia gave the U.S. all it could handle, taking a 38-33 lead on Maria Stepanova's bank shot with 7:17 left in the third quarter.
Then the Americans scored the next 12 points.
Thompson hit a tough turnaround jump shot to start the run. A 3-pointer by Katie Smith and another by Taurasi, baskets by Thompson and Lisa Leslie gave the U.S. a 45-38 cushion.
Stepanova finally ended Russia's drought with a foul line jumper with 3:25 left in the period it was the last points they'd score in the quarter as the U.S. led 48-40 going into the final period.
Russia could get no closer than nine in the fourth quarter.
Stepanova scored 14 points to lead Russia, which will play in Sunday's bronze medal game.
U.S.-born Becky Hammon, a naturalized Russian citizen, didn't score until making a free throw 30 seconds into the fourth quarter. She hit her only field goal with 2:52 left and Russia down by 14. She finished the game with three points going 1-for-6 from the field.
The U.S. has won 32 straight games in the Olympics with their last loss coming to the Unified team in the semifinals of the 1992 Barcelona Games.
