Australia bought its revenge and a spot within the Paris Olympics girls’s basketball semifinals because it breezed previous Serbia 85-67 to earn a shot at one other rival on Wednesday.
Crushed by Serbia on the identical stage of the 2016 Rio Video games, Australia made positive there wouldn’t be a repeat by methodically constructing a 26-19 first-quarter benefit and by no means let it go.
The Opals have been led by a 22-point effort from Alanna Smith whereas Cayla George and Jade Melbourne every chipped in with 18.
The win sends the Australians into the ultimate 4 the place it’ll tackle the winners of the match between the USA and Nigeria for a spot within the gold medal last on Sunday.
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Getting retribution on Serbia is one factor however getting the higher of the mighty U.S., which is anticipated to ease previous Video games debutants Nigeria afterward Wednesday, can be fairly one other.
The U.S. is driving a 58-match successful streak chasing an unprecedented tenth gold medal and eighth in a row with a lot of that success coming at Australia’s expense.
The Opals have received 5 Olympic medals in girls’s basketball however have but to say gold, shedding to the U.S. in three consecutive Olympic finals (2000, 2004 and 2008).
Extra not too long ago it was the U.S. ending Australia’s medal hopes three years in the past in Tokyo when the Opals have been thumped 79-55 by the People within the quarterfinals.
In different quarterfinal motion host France takes on Germany and Spain faces off towards Belgium on the Bercy on Wednesday.