July 15, 2001

Box Score

BRNO, Czech Republic (July 14, 2001) -- The USA Basketball Women's Junior World Championship Team (1-0) opened the 2001 FIBA Junior World Championship by leveling Lithuania (0-1) 89-71 in preliminary round play. The U.S. received strong contributions from Alana Beard (Duke / Shreveport, La.), Rutgers University freshman-to-be Cappie Pondexter (John Marshall H.S./ Chicago, Ill.) and Diana Taurasi (Connecticut / Chino, Calif.), all of whom scored 18 points apiece.

The USA-Lithuania contest was the first Preliminary Group B game played today and the U.S. is scheduled to face China, which plays Brazil today, on Sunday, July 15 at 3:30 p.m. (all times local). Today's third Group B game is Russia vs. Mali at 3:30 p.m. The United States defeated China 97-51 during the USA Basketball International Invitational on July 5 in Fairfax, Va. However, China has five players in the Czech Republic who did not compete in the Invitational.

"We played very well in spurts," said USA and University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma. "When we were able to get out in transition, when we were able to play our style of play, we looked very, very good. But there were too many times during the course of the game where we were a little tentative because it was our first game. We played 15 minutes of very good basketball and we want to make sure that tomorrow we play better than we did today. Lithuania gave us some problems with their size. We're not a very big team and they played very good defensively against us, we were just too quick for them. That was the difference in the game."

"You never know what to expect from a team, one you don't have any tape on and don't know anything about," said Beard. "For the most part we did pretty well, but we have to come ready to play every game and today it wasn't there. Even though we beat them by 19 points, we had them up by 21 points at one time and even 30 points a couple of times. We have to continue to open up the lead. We have to continue to play hard, whether we're up by 20 or 35 points."

Taurasi nailed a 3-pointer nine seconds into the USA's opening game, and in what would become a physical first quarter, Lithuania knotted the score at five after Jessica Moore (Connecticut / Palmer, Alaska) was whistled for her second foul three minutes into the contest. By the time the first 10 minutes had elapsed, Stacy Stephens (Texas / Winnsboro, Texas) and Taurasi were also in foul trouble with three and two fouls, respectively. Holding a 10-8 edge, backed by six points from Beard the United States went on a 10-3 run to open up the game 20-11 with 2:45 to go in the quarter. Following two made free throws by Lithuania, the USA scored the period's final six points to pull away 26-13 at the buzzer. The U.S. sent Lithuania to the line for 14 attempts as Lithuania scored seven of its 13 first quarter points from the charity stripe.

In the second quarter the Americans moved ahead 37-22 with 5:14 remaining in the half before scoring nine unanswered points to take a seemingly comfortable 46-22 lead. However, Lithuania would not bow out and instead took off on a 13-0 run, receiving nine points from 6-5 center Iveta Marcauskaite, to close the gap to 11 points, 46-35, with a minute remaining in the half. After two missed U.S. shots, Tera Bjorklund (Colorado / St. Peter, Minn.) came up with the USA second consecutive offensive rebound and connected on a layup to end the USA's 3:14 scoring drought with 23 seconds on the clock. Lithuania missed its next attempt and Pondexter banked in an 18-footer at the midway buzzer to send the teams into their respective locker rooms with the U.S. on top 50-35.

Marcauskaite scored the third quarter's first three points to cut the Americans' lead to 50-38 at 7:46. The United States then played its best defense of the game and began to pressure Lithuania. The USA's defense, aided by a pair of steals from University of Tennessee incoming freshman Loree Moore (Narbonne H.S. / Harbor City, Calif.) and Nicole Powell (Stanford / Phoenix, Ariz.), sparked a 14-0 offensive run which included seven and five points from Loree Moore and Beard, respectively. By the 4:48 mark the USA was in command 64-38. Lithuania never recovered from that run and by the end of 30 minutes, the Americans had extended their lead to 31 points, 76-45.

Sailing through the fourth quarter, and despite an uncontested 12-0 run by Lithuania that spanned the final minute and a half of the game, the red, white and blue walked away with an opening day victory.

"We were disappointed in the way we played," said Pondexter. "Even though we won, it felt like we lost. We could have played better, had more energy. We'll come with it for the next game. We didn't have any energy and weren't talking on the defense and couldn't get into our offense."

In addition to the 18 points from Beard, Pondexter and Taurasi, the United States' effort was aided by a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds from Powell, while Moore was credited with a game high five steals to go with her five points and eight rebounds.

Marcauskaite scored a game high 30 points in her team's losing effort. Sandra Valuzyte notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds and Ausra Bimbaite came off the bench to score 15 points.

"Everyone has to come prepared tomorrow," Beard added. "I think tomorrow is going to be a different day. It's a different game and we're going to be ready. This was our opening game and we were a little shaky, but I think we're going to get into our groove tomorrow."

Assisting Auriemma are collegiate head coaches Sherri Coale, from the University of Oklahoma, and Willette White, from Northeastern University (Mass.).

Continuing preliminary round play against China on July 15, the United States will play Brazil on July 16, followed by a day off, and will face Mali on July 18 before completing preliminary action versus Russia on July 19. Competing in Group A are Australia, Cuba, host Czech Republic, France, Japan and Poland. The top two teams in each preliminary group will advance to the medal semifinals with the first place team in Group B facing the second place team in Group A at 5:45 p.m. on July 21, followed by the top team in Group A versus the second team in Group B at 8:00 p.m. that evening. The winners of those games will play for the gold medal at 8:00 p.m. on July 22, while the bronze medal will be contested at 5:45 p.m. that evening.

Defending FIBA Junior World Championship gold medalist, the United States earned the gold with an exciting 78-74 overtime victory over then-defending Junior World Champions Australia in the 1997 competition. Held every four years since 1985, the U.S. finished no better than fifth in the first three competitions. The USA's win today pushed the Americans' overall record at the Junior Worlds to 19-9 (67.9 winning percentage).

OFFICIAL BASKETBALL BOX SCORE  G A M E   T O T A L S
Lithuania vs United States
7/14/01 11:00 a.m. at Arena Rondo - Brno, Czech Republic

VISITORS: Lithuania (01)
                          TOTFG  3PT         REBOUNDS
No.     N A M E           FG FGA FG FGA FT FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP   A TO BLK S MIN
4  KAVALIAUSKAITE, Orin *  0  0   0  0   0  0   0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   3
8  ZYMANTYAITE, Giedre  *  0  0   0  0   0  0   0  0  0   1   0   0  0  0  0  12
11 MARCAUSKAITE, Iveta  * 13 20   2  3   2  6   2  2  4   1  30   2  4  1  4  40
12 SULCIUTE, Egle       *  0  3   0  0   0  0   1  0  1   3   0   1  1  0  0  22
13 VALUZYTE, Sandra     *  4  9   0  0   8 12   1  9 10   4  16   2  5  0  1  33
6  VIKSRYTE, Sandra        0  3   0  0   2  2   0  1  1   2   2   0  1  0  0  16
7  ZYGELYTE, Egle          0  1   0  0   0  0   0  1  1   1   0   0  1  0  1   4
9  BIMBAITE, Ausra         6 15   1  5   2  3   4  4  8   3  15   1  7  0  4  39
10 KIZYTE, Laura           4  8   0  2   0  2   1  3  4   4   8   1  2  0  1  22
14 CESNAVICIUTE, Kristi    0  0   0  0   0  0   0  1  1   1   0   0  1  0  0   5
15 GULBINAITE, Dovile      0  0   0  0   0  0   0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   4
TEAM ........................................   0  0  0
TOTALS                    27 59   3 10  14 25   9 21 30  20  71   7 22  1 11 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 1127  .407   2nd Half: 1632  .500   Game:  .458   DEADBALL
3Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1 2  .500   2nd Half:  2 8  .250   Game:  .300   REBOUNDS
F Throw % 1st Half: 1218  .667   2nd Half:  2 7  .286   Game:  .560      6


HOME TEAM: United States (10)
                          TOTFG  3PT         REBOUNDS
No.     N A M E           FG FGA FG FGA FT FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP   A TO BLK S MIN
06 BEARD, Alana         *  7 14   1  3   3  6   1  3  4   1  18   3  3  1  4  26
07 STROTHER, Ann        *  3  9   0  4   2  2   1  1  2   1   8   0  7  0  2  23
08 TAURASI, Diana       *  7 15   4 11   0  0   1  2  3   3  18   1  3  2  0  27
12 POWELL, Nicole       *  4  6   1  2   1  1   4  6 10   2  10   1  1  2  3  26
13 MOORE, Jessica       *  1  3   0  0   0  0   0  2  2   4   2   0  0  0  1  12
04 PONDEXTER, Cappie       7 11   0  1   4  5   2  0  2   1  18   1  5  0  2  22
05 CURRIE, Monique         0  2   0  0   0  0   1  0  1   0   0   0  0  0  0   3
09 CHRISTON, Shameka       2  6   0  1   0  0   2  1  3   1   4   0  1  2  0  13
11 MOORE, Loree            2  5   0  0   1  2   1  7  8   1   5   2  1  0  5  27
14 STEPHENS, Stacy         1  2   0  0   2  2   4  0  4   4   4   0  1  0  1  14
15 BJORKLUND, Tera         1  3   0  0   0  0   1  0  1   0   2   0  0  0  0   7
TEAM ........................................   0  0  0
TOTALS                    35 76   6 22  13 18  18 22 40  18  89   8 22  7 18 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 2245  .489   2nd Half: 1331  .419   Game:  .461   DEADBALL
3Pt. FG% 1st Half:  414  .286   2nd Half:  2 8  .250   Game:  .273   REBOUNDS
F Throw % 1st Half:  2 6  .333   2nd Half: 1112  .917   Game:  .722      1


OFFICIALS:   Marek Cmikiewicz, Yoshiaki Kishida
TECHNICAL FOULS:
Lithuania          none
United States      none
ATTENDANCE:  300
SCORE BY PERIODS:  1st  2nd  3rd  4th  OT1  OT2   TOTAL
Lithuania          13   22   10   26                71
United States      26   24   26   13                89

The 2001 FIBA Junior World Championship Schedule / Results can be found at: USABasketball.com