Texas Tech University Athletics
USA Women Advance to Semifinals with Win Over Taiwan
August 16, 2005 | Women's Basketball
Aug. 16, 2005
IZMIR, Turkey - The 2005 USA Women's World University Game's Team took advantage of a 58-16 rebounding edge and a balanced attack that saw five players finish in double figures to roll past Taiwan 109-57 in quarterfinal action on Tuesday. The Americans, who improved their record at the Games to 5-0, advanced to a semifinal match up with Russia at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
Texas Tech's Erin Grant chipped in four rebounds and one assist in the USA's win.
Narrowly missing double-doubles for the U.S. were Seimone Augustus (LSU / Baton Rouge, La.), who had 10 points and nine rebounds, and Liz Shimek (Michigan State / Empire, Mich.), who finished with nine points and 12 boards, including 10 in the first half.
Taiwan stayed with the U.S. to start the game but the inside combination of Shimek and Sylvia Fowles (LSU / Miami, Fla.) gave the Americans control early. Shimek scored the first basket of the game with 9:24 remaining in the quarter off a pass from Augustus. With the U.S. trailing 8-7 at the 6:27 mark, Shimek grabbed an offensive rebound, made the put back and then found Cappie Pondexter (Rutgers / Chicago, Ill.) for a layup for an 11-7 American advantage with 5:41 on the clock in the first frame.
With the score knotted at 13-13, Monique Currie (Duke / Washington, D.C.) fed Fowles on four consecutive possessions to bring the U.S. lead to 21-13 with 1:03 left in the first. Taiwan's Hui-Yun Cheng connected on a jumper nine seconds later but Shimek hit a layup with 41 seconds left to close out scoring in the first quarter with the Americans on top 23-15.
"Our kids are used to a good, detailed scouting report," said USA and Harvard University (Mass.) head coach Kathy Delaney-Smith. "It usually takes them about a quarter of seeing the other team in action. "We started a little bit better today than we have."
Pondexter made a jumper just eight seconds into the second quarter and hit a layup after stealing the ball on Taiwan's next possession to give the U.S. a 27-15 margin with 9:35 left in the first half. A 7-0 Taiwan run, including five points from Chun-Yi Liu, narrowed the American lead to 27-22 with 8:19 remaining in the second stanza but two straight baskets from Pondexter and Currie brought the U.S. lead back to nine at 31-22.
With the margin still at nine, 35-26, Jessica Davenport hit four free throws and Augustus hit a breakaway layup with 1:27 remaining in the second frame for a 41-26 American advantage. Taiwan cut the gap to 13 off a basket from Liu but Megan Duffy (Notre Dame / Dayton, Ohio) found Lisa Willis (UCLA / Long Beach, Calif.) for a 3-pointer and Fowles made a layup off a Willis assist with 17 seconds on the clock to end first half scoring with the Americans ahead 46-28.
The U.S. hit three-straight baskets to start the second half and bring the score to 52-28 with 8:00 left in the third quarter. Taiwan traded baskets for the next minute of play but a drive by Pondexter ignited a 12-1 U.S. run that put the score at 66-35 and the Americans safely into the semifinals.
"I think the whole team did a good job rebounding today," said Shimek. "You always go into the game wanting to rebound the ball because that's two points away from the other team and potentially two points for you, so one of the things we focused on was rebounding. We can here to win the gold medal and today was the first real game toward that goal."
"I think we wear people down, we're very deep," said Delaney-Smith. "I think other teams are good enough, strong enough and determined enough to stay with for a little bit but then we just wear you down."
The U.S. was led in scoring by Candice Dupree's (Temple / Tampa, Fla.) 16 points. In addition to Dupree and Augustus, also in double figures for the Americas were Currie and Fowles with 14 apiece and Pondexter, who finished with 12 points.
In its five games, the U.S. has outscored its opponents by 45.4 ppg. and posted a plus-26.8 rebounding margin. As a team, the Americans are shooting a stellar 56.5 (209-370) percent from the field and limiting other teams to 31.9 (96-301) percent shooting.
Cheng led Taiwan with 14 points and Jui-Yu Lan and Liu scored 12 and 10, respectively.
Courtesy of USA Basketball - for a complete box score, log onto www.usabasketball.com
