Texas Tech University Athletics
USA Women's Jones Cup Team Routs Senegal
June 21, 1999 | Women's Basketball
August 27, 1998
TAIPEI, Taiwan - Defense and a team offensive effort carried the USA to a dominating and lopsided 55-28 victory over Senegal (2-3) Thursday in the team's final game of the R. William Jones Cup in Taiwan. The win earned the United States the gold medal as the squad finished with a perfect 5-0 record. Forward Peppi Browne (Duke / Silver Spring, Md.) paced the USA offense in Thursday's game with a team best nine points.
"We came here and accomplished what we wanted to and that was to win the Jones Cup. It was great team effort all week long and I'm very proud of how each and every one of these players performed," stated USA head coach Nell Fortner. "Defense was the key to this team's success. Our physical and aggressive style proved to be overpowering to the competition."
The United States jetted out to a 14-0 lead as Semeka Randall (Tennessee / Cleveland, Ohio) and Tamika Catchings (Tennessee / Duncanville, Texas) each tallied four points in the run, and Senegal never recovered. Senegal did not score its first points of the game until the 10:26 mark of the first half and at halftime the score stood at a lopsided 29-10. Senegal regrouped some in the second half, cutting the USA lead to 13 points, 37-24, with 9:20 to play. But the United States closed out the contest with an 18-4 offensive run to earn the 55-28 victory and the gold medal.
The U.S. offensive effort was aided Summer Erb (North Carolina State, / Lakewood, Ohio), eight points, and Randall finished with seven points. Chanel Wright (North Carolina / Baltimore, Md.) headed the USA's rebounding effort with eight rebounds, while Browne and Catching each grabbed seven boards.
Neither team shot the basketball well as the U.S. managed to make just 32.7 percent (18-55 FGs) of its shots overall and Senegal was able to connect on just 25.5 percent (13-51 FGs) of its tries. The U.S. defensive pressure forced Senegal into 25 turnovers, and the USA held a 46 to 22 advantage on the glass.
The USA squad clearly dominated this year's Jones Cup competition. Limiting its opponents to 39.4 points a game and 31.8 percent shooting from the field overall, the USA's average margin of victory in its five games was 26 points a game, and the U.S. outrebounded its opposition by 15.8 rebounds a game.
In its 19 appearances in the R. William Jones Cup, the U.S. has now compiled a 110-22 record and captured 15 medals, including eight gold, three silver and four bronze medals. The U.S. winners of a silver medal in 1997, last claimed a Jones Cup gold in 1996 after finishing a perfect 9-0.
