USA Women Defeat Australia For Gold
By Craig Miller // USA Basketball // July 9, 2007
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| Photo by USA Basketball |
MOSCOW REGION, Russia (July 8, 2007) – Crystal Langhorne (Maryland / Willingboro, N.J.) had a double-double of 23 points and 14 rebounds to lead five U.S. players in double digit scoring as the 2007 USA Basketball U21 World Championship Team (8-0) held off a late Australia (6-2) attack for a 96-73 gold medal victory on Sunday evening at the FIBA U21 World Championship in Moscow. France (7-1) nearly squandered a 22-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but held off a late Russian (5-3) comeback attempt for a 67-61 victory and the bronze medal.
"It was a great game for our team defensively and rebounding-wise," said USA U21 National Team and Duke University (N.C.) head coach Joanne P. McCallie. "I really felt that we wanted to play Australia again. We didn't feel great about our first game against them. This time I felt we pressured the ball much more so and disrupted them much more and took advantage of opportunities. It really was a total team effort."
"You never get tired of winning," said Langhorne. "Two years ago we won also (the 2005 FIBA U19 World Championship) and it's exciting. It brings a great feeling for us to represent our country and win another gold medal."
This age group (players born on or after Jan. 1, 1986) closes out its FIBA age-based competition with four gold medals and an undefeated mark of 26-0 in official FIBA and FIBA Americas tournaments after capturing the 2004 FIBA Americas U18 Championship (5-0), 2005 FIBA U19 World Championship (8-0) and 2006 FIBA Americas U20 Championship (5-0). Additionally, they won gold at the 2005 International Sports Invitational (4-0), earned a 3-0 slate in exhibition play against France this year and split a pair of games against Hungary prior to the ‘05 U19 Worlds.
The U.S. jetted out on a 15-3 opening run and by the first quarter break the squad, which never trailed in the game, was up 32-21. The United States pounded away inside in the first half, but when Australia's posts collapsed on the USA's bread and butter, they kicked it outside. That fueled the USA's perimeter game, which produced eight 3-pointers in the first half (8-18 3pt FGs) as the U.S. took a 15-point, 55-40 lead into the locker room.
The third quarter saw the Americans pull further away and with 10 minutes to play the lead stood at 75-56 and it seemed the game was in the bag.
However, Australia gave it one final try. As the Americans lagged on defense Australia reeled off 11 points in a little over three minutes to close to within eight points at 6:51.
McCallie called a time out to regroup and remind her squad what they had come for. It worked as Abby Waner (Duke / Highlands Ranch, Colo.) got a steal that led to an Essence Carson (Rutgers / Paterson, N.J.) basket at 6:06, sparking a 10-0 run that included steals from Jolene Anderson (Wisconsin / Port Wing, Wis.) and Langhorne and the U.S. was back in command 85-67. Australia never again had a chance as the Americans closed the game strong for the gold medal victory.
"We just kept our composure, we went inside, things that got us the lead in the first place. We remained calm and just played," said Candice Wiggins (Stanford / San Diego, Calif.), who scored 14 points in the win, on pushing back Australia's late surge.
In addition to Langhorne's 23 points and 14 rebounds, Anderson, DeWanna Bonner (Auburn / Fairfield, Ala.) and Wiggins had 14 each and Carson chipped in 12 points.
For the eighth time in as many days the United States ruled the boards with a 52-31 rebounding advantage.
Jenna O'Hea led Australia with 23 points.
France's Sandrine Gruda, who was 1-of-8 today in the bronze medal game against Russia, earned the tournament's MVP trophy.
Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (Purdue / Naperville, Ill.) injured her left knee in the USA's semifinal game against Russia and did not play in the gold medal game.
McCallie has been assisted by collegiate head coaches Sam Dixon of Furman University (S.C.), an assistant to McCallie last summer with the 2006 USA U20 National Team, and Arizona State University's Charli Turner Thorne.
Prior to arriving in Russia, the USA spent a week training in France and completed a three-game sweep against the French U21 World Championship Team. On June 18 the USA won in Monte Carlo, Monaco, to a tune of 82-59, on June 19 in Antibes the score was 81-68 and on June 21 the series concluded in La Garde with the USA on top 71-57.
2007 FIBA Women's U21 World Championship Schedule & Results
Preliminary Round Final Standings
Group A W-L Group B W-L
1. France 5-0 1. United States 5-0
2. Russia 4-1 2. Australia 4-1
3. Canada 3-2 3. Hungary 3-2
4. Belgium 2-3 4. *Brazil 1-4
5. China 1-4 5. *Spain 1-4
6. Mali 0-5 6. *Japan 1-4
* Standings based on FIBA's tie-breaking formula.
Preliminary Round
Friday, June 29
Spain 90, Brazil 86 (2OT)
USA 90, Australia 88
Hungary 77, Japan 58
France 87, China 59
Russia 83, Canada 56
Belgium 91, Mali 66
Saturday, June 30
Australia 82, Hungary 72
Japan 90, Spain 87
France 111, Mali 45
Canada 78, China 54
Belgium 77, Russia 87
USA 96, Brazil 40
Sunday, July 1
Canada 71, Mali 47
France 91, Belgium 80
Brazil 85, Japan 72
USA 93, Hungary 70
Russia 97, China 70
Australia 75, Spain 56
Tuesday, July 3
Belgium 76, China 70
Hungary 75, Brazil 64
USA 81, Spain 62
Australia 91, Japan 72
Russia 94, Mali 25
France 71, Canada
Wednesday, July 4
Australia 89, Brazil 82
USA 98, Japan 57
Canada 69, Belgium 58
China 90, Mali 59
France 73, Russia 71
Hungary 79, Spain 76 (OT)
Quarterfinals
The top four teams from each preliminary round group advanced to the quarterfinals to play for first through eighth place, and the fifth and sixth places teams from each group play for ninth through 12th places.
Friday, July 6
Australia 98, Canada 57
France 85, Brazil 68
Russia 71, Hungary 55
USA 104, Belgium 53
Classification Semifinals
Japan 74, China 62
Spain 75, Mali 48
Semifinals
Saturday, July 7
Classification Semifinal 1: Canada 74, Brazil 69
Classification Semifinal 2: Belgium 73, Hungary 64
Medal Semifinal 1: USA 86, Russia 61
Medal Semifinal 2: Australia 88, France 81
Classification Finals
11th/12th Place: China 73, Mali 46
9th/10th Place: Spain 80, Japan 70
Finals
Sunday, July 8
7th/8th Place: Hungary 75, Brazil 67
5th/6th Place: Belgium 72, Canada 67
Bronze Medal Game: France 67, Russia 61
Gold Medal Game: USA 96, Australia 73
Final Standings
1. USA (8-0) 7. Hungary (4-4)
2. Australia (6-2) 8. Brazil (1-7)
3. France (7-1) 9. Spain (3-4)
4. Russia (5-3) 10. Japan (2-5)
5. Belgium (4-4) 11. China (2-5)
6. Canada (4-4) 12. Mali (0-7)
OFFICIAL BASKETBALL BOX SCORE -- G A M E T O T A L S
USA vs Australia
07/08/07 6:00 p.m. at Moscow, Russia
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VISITORS: USA (8-0)
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
No. N A M E FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
05 WIGGINS, Candice * 6-15 2-6 0-0 0 5 5 1 14 1 0 0 0 26
07 ANDERSON, Jolene * 5-12 4-8 0-0 0 3 3 0 14 2 0 0 1 26
09 CARSON, Essence * 6-7 0-0 0-0 2 5 7 0 12 1 2 0 2 24
13 LANGHORNE, Crystal * 10-16 0-0 3-6 9 5 14 2 23 0 4 0 2 28
15 PARIS, Courtney * 3-8 0-0 0-0 3 4 7 2 6 4 1 1 0 21
04 HOUTS, Ashley 0-2 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 9
06 PACKER, Marscilla 1-3 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 5
08 BONNER, DeWanna 6-10 2-3 0-1 1 1 2 0 14 1 2 1 1 16
10 WANER, Abby 2-5 1-4 0-0 1 1 2 4 5 0 3 0 5 15
12 HARPER, Laura 0-3 0-0 5-6 1 2 3 1 5 1 2 2 1 19
14 VAUGHN, Kia 0-3 0-0 0-0 1 2 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 11
11 WISDOM-HYLTON, Lindsay DNP – Injured
TEAM ........................................ 5 1 6 1
TOTALS 39-84 10-24 8-13 23 29 52 11 96 10 20 4 12 200
TOT-FG 1stH: 22-44 50.0% 2ndH: 17-40 42.5% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 46.4% Deadbl
3pt-FG 1stH: 8-18 44.4% 2ndH: 2- 6 33.3% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 41.7% Rebs
FThrow 1stH: 3- 5 60.0% 2ndH: 5- 8 62.5% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 61.5% 2
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HOME TEAM: Australia (6-2)
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
No. N A M E FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
04 MacLEOD, Kathleen * 3-10 2-7 0-0 2 2 4 1 8 5 0 0 0 38
06 O'HEA, Jenna * 9-18 3-4 2-2 0 8 8 0 23 2 7 2 3 37
07 CAMINO, Renae * 6-15 0-5 0-0 2 3 5 1 12 0 4 0 1 24
08 FRANCIS, Cayla * 2-4 0-1 0-0 2 3 5 4 4 0 3 2 0 20
15 BISHOP, Abby * 1-3 0-0 1-4 0 1 1 5 3 0 1 0 1 16
05 OLIVER, Heather 2-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 5
09 DUKE, Rebecca 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 10
10 PERERA, Chantella 0-2 0-1 4-4 0 0 0 1 4 1 3 0 0 8
11 DOMBKINS, Mikaela 4-7 2-3 0-0 1 2 3 1 10 2 1 1 0 20
12 PENALUNA, Elyse 2-3 0-0 1-1 0 1 1 1 5 1 2 1 1 16
13 HERRICK, Rachel 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
14 WATMAN, Rachel 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
TEAM ........................................ 0 2 2
TOTALS 29-64 7-21 8-11 7 24 31 14 73 12 22 6 6 200
TOT-FG 1stH: 14-30 46.7% 2ndH: 15-34 44.1% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 45.3% Deadbl
3pt-FG 1stH: 5-11 45.5% 2ndH: 2-10 20.0% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 33.3% Rebs
FThrow 1stH: 7- 8 87.5% 2ndH: 1- 3 33.3% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 72.7% 1
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OFFICIALS: E. Chernova (RUS), D. Chambon (FRA), D. Townsend (CAN)
TECHNICAL FOULS:
USA - none
Australia - none
SCORE BY PERIODS: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT1 OT2 TOTAL
USA 32 23 20 21 96
Australia 21 19 16 17 73
2007 FIBA U21 World Championship Gold Medal Game
*This release is also available on USA Basketball's World Wide Web homepage - http://www.usabasketball.com/.
For further information contact Craig Miller, Jenny Maag or Sam Miller at USA Basketball 719-590-4800 or Caroline Williams with the team in Europe at 719-330-3310 (U.S. cell) or 011-7-9267-792-368 (Russia cell).
