Brazil Stuns U.S. Women in Semifinal : Basketball: Americans handed first loss in 11 years at world championships.
SYDNEY, Australia — For the first time in 11 years, the United States lost at the women’s world basketball championships.
Guards Hortencia and Paula combined for 61 points as Brazil stunned the defending champions, 110-107, Saturday night in the semifinals.
Hortencia scored 32 points and Paula had 29 as the Brazilians reached their first world championship final.
“We just didn’t do the things we needed to do,†said U.S. Coach Tara VanDerveer. “If you give up 110 points, that is a pretty good way to lose.â€
It was the first U.S. loss at the world championships since the 1983 final against the Soviet Union. The 110 points were the most given up by the United States at the world championships.
“We didn’t have the effort or intensity we needed defensively,†VanDerveer said. “We had people who didn’t play to their potential here. I’m not going to name them, but they know who they are.â€
Brazil will meet Olympic silver medalist China in today’s final. Center Zheng Haixia had 36 points and 14 rebounds as China beat Australia, 66-65, in the other semifinal.
The United States will play Australia for third place today.
Katrina McClain led the United States with 29 points against Brazil. Ruthie Bolton-Holifield added 17 and Teresa Edwards 15.
“We knew what Brazil could do, but we didn’t seem mentally ready to play them,†Bolton-Holifield said.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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