July 18, 2001

Release courtesy of USA Basketball

Box Score

BRNO, Czech Republic (July 18, 2001) -- Three USA Junior World Championship team records fell today as the USA Basketball Women's Junior World Championship Team (4-0) ran away with a 97-29 victory over Mali (0-4) today in Brno, Czech Republic. All 12 players contributed in the scoring column, with Diana Taurasi (Connecticut / Chino, Calif.) pacing the attack with 18 points. Improving its record to 4-0 at the 2001 FIBA Junior World Championship, the United States will close preliminary round action against Russia (3-0) at 8:00 p.m. (all times local) on July 18. In other Group B play today, China (0-3) will play Lithuania (1-2) at 3:30 p.m. and Brazil (2-1) will face Russia (3-0) at 8:00 p.m.

"The biggest thing is that we didn't want to come out here and go through the motions just because we have more talent than Mali," said USA and University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma. "We just wanted to make sure that we got things accomplished. We ran our offense, we executed some things offensively, and we tried some new things defensively. We wanted to get some work in and not just come out here and win the game. We obviously wanted to win the game and we accomplished our goal, but in the meantime we also worked on some things that we're going to need tomorrow to beat Russia."

"We used today as a tune up for tomorrow," said Taurasi. "We got a few things straightened out on our defense and worked on our offense. We used it well. Russia is going to be a hard team. We saw them play the other night, they're a good team, they're big and they play good defense. It should be a good game."

Mali won the opening tip, but almost immediately turned the ball over to the U.S. and 12 seconds into the game Alana Beard (Duke / Shreveport, La.) notched two of her eventual 14 points on a layup, setting the tone for the rest of the game. The Americans went up 7-0 before Mali scored its first points of the game, and only field goal of the first quarter, a 3-pointer at 7:53. The U.S. took advantage of its strength and took off on a 16-0 scoring spree that ended at 2:35 with the United States holding a commanding 23-3 lead. Mali was sent to the line with 2:18 remaining in the first period and made one of two shots, before the red, white and blue scored the first period's final 10 points. At the first quarter buzzer the United States had the game in hand 33-4. In the first period, the United States shot a sizzling 70.0 percent from the field (14-20 FGs), while its defense limited Mali to a frigid 6.3 percent (1-16 FGs) from the field and forced nine turnovers.

Only one of the USA's starters returned in the second quarter as Nicole Powell (Stanford / Phoenix, Ariz.) played the final 2:36. The United States ' reserves kept the game in check and closed the half on top 64-18. At the end of three periods, the United States was ahead 84-22 and outscored Mali 13-7 in the final quarter for the eventual victory. Despite the enormous point differential, and being out manned by the strong U.S. squad, the Mali team members never let up and played with intensity throughout the entire contest, leaving a positive impression on the Americans.

"That was awesome the way Mali never gave up," said Ann Strother (Highlands Ranch H.S. / Castle Rock, Colo.), the lone high school player on the U.S. squad. "They didn't have much experience and they looked really young. But they never gave up, they kept their energy high and played their hearts out the whole time.

"We all really played well today," added Strother on the USA's effort. "We ran our offenses and worked on our defenses. We played well together and had a lot of fun."

In addition to Taurasi's 18 and Beard's 14 points, Rutgers University (N.J.) freshman-to-be Cappie Pondexter (John Marshall H.S./ Chicago, Ill.) and Duke University (N.C.) freshman-to-be Monique Currie (The Bullis School / Washington, D.C.) came off the bench to score 11 and 10 points, respectively. Jessica Moore (Connecticut / Palmer, Alaska), Powell and Wynter Whitley (Holy Innocents' Episcopal / Atlanta, Ga.), who will be a freshman at Duke in the fall, grabbed seven rebounds apiece and Strother passed off for a game high five assists. Additionally, Jessica Moore was credited with a game high three blocked shots.

"It showed a lot of discipline and character on their part," said University of Tennessee freshman-to-be Loree Moore (Narbonne H.S. / Harbor City, Calif.), regarding Mali's effort in today's game. "No matter what the score is, they're going to play their best at all times. That makes other teams have a lot of respect for them."

The Americans, who outrebounded their opponents 48-21, set three new single-game USA Junior World Championship team records against Mali. The 68-point victory surpassed the USA's previous winning margin of 37 points set by the 1985 team in an 84-47 rout of Canada. The U.S. passed off for a total of 19 assists against Mali, two more than the 1997 squad notched against Cuba. Shooting a stellar 61.3 percent (38-62 FGs) from the field, the United States set a new standard for field goal percentage. The previous record was 58.1 percent (36-62 FGs) versus Spain set by the 1989 USA Junior squad.

"I think Russia has a size advantage over us," said Beard looking ahead at the USA's final preliminary round opponents. "But our guards can use their guards to our advantage. I think it's going to be all about our defense tomorrow, in the post and on the perimeter."

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

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 22-9 (71.0 winning percentage).

OFFICIAL BASKETBALL BOX SCORE  G A M E   T O T A L S
United States vs Mali
7/18/01 1:15 p.m. at Arena Rondo  Brno, Czech Republic

VISITORS: United States (40)
                          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         *  6  8   1  2   1  3   2  0  2   1  14   3  1  1  3 18
07 STROTHER, Ann        *  3  7   1  4   0  0   1  2  3   1   7   5  1  0  0 20
08 TAURASI, Diana       *  7 11   3  5   1  1   0  3  3   1  18   3  5  1  2 23
12 POWELL, Nicole       *  4  7   0  1   0  0   4  3  7   1   8   0  1  0  0 22
13 MOORE, Jessica       *  2  5   0  0   1  1   2  5  7   0   5   1  0  3  1 15
04 PONDEXTER, Cappie       3  3   1  1   4  8   0  1  1   0  11   2  1  0  1 17
05 CURRIE, Monique         4  6   1  1   1  2   2  2  4   0  10   1  3  0  2 20
09 CHRISTON, Shameka       1  3   0  0   1  2   0  1  1   2   3   2  1  1  1 14
10 WHITLEY, Wynter         1  3   0  0   1  3   1  6  7   0   3   0  2  0  1 12
11 MOORE, Loree            2  2   0  0   0  0   1  2  3   0   4   0  0  0  3 12
14 STEPHENS, Stacy         3  3   0  0   2  2   3  3  6   0   8   1  1  0  0 12
15 BJORKLUND, Tera         2  4   0  0   2  3   0  4  4   2   6   1  1  0  1 15
TEAM ........................................   0  0  0
TOTALS                    38 62   7 14  14 25  16 32 48   8  97  19 17  6 15 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 2435  .686   2nd Half: 1427  .519   Game:  .613 DEADBALL
3Pt. FG% 1st Half:  611  .545   2nd Half:  1 3  .333   Game:  .500  REBOUNDS
F Throw % 1st Half: 1016  .625   2nd Half:  4 9  .444   Game:  .560      5

HOME TEAM: Mali (04)
                          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  KANTE, Jelika        *  1  3   1  2   0  0   0  0  0   2   3   2  1  0  1 21
7  DIALLO, Assietou     *  0  1   0  0   0  0   0  1  1   3   0   0  2  0  0 13
9  SANGARE, Fatoumata   *  1  9   1  3   0  0   1  0  1   2   3   0  3  0  0 16
13 BAGAYOGO, Fatoumata  *  1  9   0  1   0  0   1  4  5   2   2   1  0  0  1 22
15 SISSOKO, Jeneba      *  4 11   0  0   2  4   2  1  3   2  10   0  2  0  3 21
5  DAMBA, Djenebou         0  2   0  1   0  0   0  0  0   1   0   0  1  0  2 15
6  SEREME, Aminata         0 13   0 10   0  0   2  1  3   0   0   0  2  0  2 22
8  TOURE, Kadiatou         0  2   0  0   0  0   1  2  3   3   0   0  1  0  0 15
10 SANOGO, Bara            2  5   2  4   1  2   2  0  2   1   7   1  2  0  3 23
11 DEMBELE, Astan          2  7   0  1   0  0   0  2  2   3   4   0  0  0  2 20
12 SINITA, Aminata         0  2   0  0   0  0   0  0  0   3   0   0  0  0  0 9
14 DIABATE, Faroumata      0  1   0  0   0  0   0  1  1   1   0   0  0  0  0 3
TEAM ........................................   0  0  0              3
TOTALS                    11 65   4 22   3  6   9 12 21  23  29   4 17  0 14 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  636  .167   2nd Half:  529  .172   Game:  .169 DEADBALL
3Pt. FG% 1st Half:  312  .250   2nd Half:  110  .100   Game:  .182  REBOUNDS
F Throw % 1st Half:  3 6  .500   2nd Half:  0 0  .500   Game:  .500      1

OFFICIALS:   Marek Cmikiewicz, Vladimir Dadugin
TECHNICAL FOULS:
United States none
Mali          none
ATTENDANCE:  300
SCORE BY PERIODS:  1st  2nd  3rd  4th  OT1  OT2   TOTAL
United States      33   31   20   13               97
Mali               4   14    4    7                29


2001 FIBA Women's Junior World Championship Schedule/Results
Preliminary  Round Standings

Group A         W       L       Group B    W       L
Australia       4       0       USA        4       0
Czech Republic  3       0       Russia     3       0
France          2       2       Brazil     2       1
Cuba            1       2       Lithuania  1       2
Poland          1       3       China      0       3
Japan           0       4       Mali       0       4