Box Score
FAIRFAX, Va. -- Behind a team high 20 points from Alana Beard
(Duke / Shreveport, La.), the USA Basketball Women's Junior World
Championship Team (1-0) celebrated Independence Day in style, with an 81-60
downing of the Brazil Junior National Team (0-1) today to kick-off the 2001
USA Basketball Junior International Invitational at George Mason University'
s Patriot Center. Japan (1-0) relied on 39 points (16-25 FGs) from guard
Yuko Oga to edge China (0-1) 85-81 in the day's second contest.
"I though we got some good contributions from a lot of the players," said
USA and University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma. "Specifically
Alana (Beard), D (Diana Taurasi) and Cappie (Pondexter). Generally
everybody played well, everybody contributed more than you would expect in
the first night out."
After missing its first three shots of the game, the U.S. found its rhythm
and grabbed the lead on an Ann Strother (Highlands Ranch H.S. 2002 / Castle
Rock, Colo.) three-point play, which put the North Americans ahead 7-6 at
the six minute mark. While the United States never again trailed, Brazil
kept the contest close and with 2:33 to go in the first period, the U.S.
held a 17-14 edge. Neither team was able to score over the next minute and
with 1:32 remaining in the period, Rutgers freshman-to-be Cappie Pondexter
(John Marshall H.S./ Chicago, Ill.) hit two free throws to spark a 6-0 USA
run to close out the half on top 23-14.
The U.S. steadily continued to pull away in the second quarter and when the
halftime buzzer sounded the red, white and blue was in command by 19 points,
45-26. With three minutes left in the third quarter the USA held its
largest lead of the game, owning a 26-point, 62-36 advantage, and cruised
through the fourth quarter for the eventual 21-point victory.
In addition to Beard's 20 points, Diana Taurasi (Connecticut / Chino,
Calif.) scored 16 points and had four steals, while Pondexter contributed 12
points. Jessica Moore (Connecticut / Palmer, Alaska) grabbed a team high
five rebounds.
The USA, which shot 47.3 percent from the field, played Brazil close on the
defensive end and limited the South Americans to 39.7 percent shooting from
the field, while forcing 31 turnovers.
"Today was fun," said Taurasi, who, along with Beard and Pondexter, competed
last summer for the USA Basketball Junior World Championship Qualifying
Team. "With the 3-point line further, the trapezoid lane, there's more room
for the post players to work with. I think today we did a really good job.
When we were in Colorado Springs, we were rusty playing in the scrimmages.
I thought we came out, played hard and did well."
"Brazil was a good match-up for us," added Auriemma. "Tomorrow, both these
teams (China and Japan) present a lot of difficult problems that we'll have
to deal with. So I'm anxious to see how we play against a team that's going
to make us move as much as they're going to make us move. We'll know
whether we can play against any style of basketball after tomorrow's game."
Japan 85, China 81:
In a game that remained close through the final minute, Japan persevered for
an 85-81 victory over China. A combined eight players scored in
double-digits, including three for Japan and five for China.
At the end of the first quarter, China held a five point lead, 21-16.
However in the second period Japan outscored China 23-15 to take a 39-36
lead into the locker room. Japan's Oga, who finished the game with 39
points and six assists, had 18 and five by the midway buzzer. Japan surged
to a nine point lead, 55-46, with 4:43 remaining in the third quarter, but
China rebounded and at the end of the third China closed the gap to three,
65-62.
In the fourth quarter, with 4:42 remaining in the contest, the score was
knotted at 76 apiece. Japan capitalized on two missed 3-pointers, while
making three field goals of its own and owned an 82-76 advantage with 3:01
to go. However, China converted two Japanese turnovers into five points and
with 25 seconds to go China trailed 82-81 but couldn't grab a lead and Japan
's Oga nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for Japan's final points.
2000 USA Basketball Development Coach of the Year Auriemma is being assisted
by University of Oklahoma's Sherri Coale and Northeastern University's
(Mass.) Willette White.
The USA Junior Team will continue 2001 USA Basketball International
Invitational play on Thursday, July 5 against China at the Patriot Center 20
minutes following the Brazil and Japan 1:00 p.m. (EDT) tip-off. The
round-robin preliminary round concludes on Friday, July 6 with a 1:00 p.m.
game between the U.S. and China, and a 2:30 match-up between Brazil and
Japan. Moving the Invitational to George Washington University's Smith
Center, the gold and bronze medal games will be held on Sunday, July 8. The
bronze medal game will begin at 3:00 p.m., followed by the championship
contest scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
Following one final practice in Washington on July 9 at 12:00 p.m. at the
MCA Center, the 2001 USA Basketball Women's Junior World Championship Team
will travel to Prague, Czech Republic, for a July 11-12 training camp before
beginning 2001 FIBA Junior World Championship play on July 14 against
Lithuania in Brno, Czech Republic.
2001 USA Basketball Junior International Invitational
Preliminary Round Standings
W L
Japan 1 0
USA 1 0
Brazil 0 1
China 0 1
Preliminary Round
Wednesday, July 4
USA 81, Brazil 60
Japan 85, China 81
Thursday, July 5
1:00 p.m. Brazil vs. China GMU Patriot Center
2:30 p.m. USA vs. Japan GMU Patriot Center
Friday, July 6
1:00 p.m. USA vs. China GMU Patriot Center
2:30 p.m. Brazil vs. Japan GMU Patriot Center
Off Day - Practice
Saturday, July 7
8:00 a.m. No. 4 Seed GW Smith Center
10:00 a.m. No. 3 Seed GW Smith Center
12:00 p.m. No. 2 Seed GW Smith Center
2:00 p.m. No. 1 Seed GW Smith Center
Medal Round
Sunday, July 8
3:00 p.m. *Bronze Medal Game GW Smith Center
4:30 p.m. *Gold Medal Game GW Smith Center
Monday, July 9
12:00 p.m. USA Practice MCI Center
* Final games open to the public free of charge, preliminary rounds are open
to credentialed media only. For credential information, please contact
Caroline Williams at USA Basketball (719-330-3310).
USA 81, BRAZIL 60
OFFICIAL BASKETBALL BOX SCORE G A M E T O T A L S
2001 Brazil Jr. National Team vs 2001 USA Junior National Team
7/4/01 11:00am at Patriot Center George Mason University
VISITORS: 2001 Brazil Jr. National Team
TOTFG 3PT REBOUNDS
No. N A M E FG FGA FG FGA FT FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
10 Rocha, Silvia f 2 9 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 4 5 4 0 1 30
11 Dos Santos, K f 2 5 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 3 4 0 2 1 0 19
14 De Souza, Eri c 3 11 0 1 0 0 3 4 7 4 6 0 4 1 0 19
04 Marques, Izia g 3 7 0 1 9 13 3 3 6 2 15 4 7 1 3 37
07 Belinazzo, Ju g 1 4 1 4 0 0 0 2 2 3 3 2 2 0 0 19
05 Leite, Claudi 9 13 1 1 2 2 1 2 3 0 21 3 4 0 3 23
06 Beling, Ferna 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
08 Manfredi, Fab 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 6
09 Sackis, Ana F 0 2 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 4
12 Camargo, Ales 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 4 4 3 2 0 2 0 0 19
13 Dos Santos, F 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
15 Coelho, Grazi 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 2 2 3 2 0 20
TEAM ................................. 5 4 9 2
TOTALS 23 58 2 10 12 18 12 24 36 23 60 17 31 5 7 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 1029 .345 2nd Half: 1329 .448 Game: .397 DEADBALL
3Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1 5 .200 2nd Half: 1 5 .200 Game: .200 REBOUNDS
F Throw % 1st Half: 510 .500 2nd Half: 7 8 .875 Game: .667 4
HOME TEAM: 2001 USA Junior National Team
TOTFG 3PT REBOUNDS
No. N A M E FG FGA FG FGA FT FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
07 Strother, Ann f 3 5 2 4 1 1 0 3 3 1 9 3 3 0 1 17
12 Powell, Nicol f 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 4 2 1 0 2 24
13 Moore, Jessic c 1 1 0 0 4 4 2 3 5 1 6 0 0 0 0 24
06 Beard, Alana g 7 14 1 1 5 6 1 0 1 3 20 2 3 0 0 27
08 Taurasi, Dian g 5 10 2 4 4 6 0 4 4 1 16 3 1 0 4 34
04 Pondexter, Ca 4 7 0 0 4 4 0 2 2 2 12 0 2 0 0 16
05 Currie, Moniq 1 2 0 0 3 6 0 0 0 2 5 1 2 0 3 6
09 Christon, Sha 1 4 1 3 2 2 0 1 1 1 5 0 0 0 0 13
10 Whitley, Wynt 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 4
11 Moore, Loree 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 2 4 4 0 0 17
14 Stephens, Sta 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 2 0 0 1 0 1 7
15 Bjorklund, Te 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 4 1 2 0 2 0 1 11
TEAM ................................. 2 2 4 1
TOTALS 26 55 6 12 23 29 6 27 33 20 81 15 21 0 13 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half:1328 .464 2nd Half:1327 .481 Game: .473 DEADBALL
3Pt. FG% 1st Half: 4 8 .500 2nd Half: 2 4 .500 Game: .500 REBOUNDS
F Throw % 1st Half:1517 .882 2nd Half: 812 .667 Game: .793 5
TECHNICAL FOULS: None
SCORE BY PERIODS: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT1 OT2 TOTAL
2001 Brazil Jr. National Team 14 12 19 15 60
2001 USA Junior National Team 23 22 17 19 81
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