Opals get home against Brazil

Updated July 22, 2012 09:13:24

The Australian women's basketball team survived a scare against Brazil before running out 78-75 winners in their pre-Olympics tournament in France.

The Opals had led by nine points at half-time, however the Brazilians fought back to carry a 57-56 advantage into the final term.

But the three-time Olympic silver medallists found enough to secure the victory with Belinda Snell again impressing with a 28-point haul.

The Opals remain undefeated in their pre-Olympic fixtures in Europe, having also beaten France, Great Britain, Angola and China.

They next meet France on Monday (AEST).

Tags: olympics-summer, sport, basketball, france

First posted July 22, 2012 09:10:22

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Opals complete clean sweep

Updated June 29, 2012 14:57:49

The Australian women's basketball team posted a series sweep against Brazil, following a comfortable 102-58 victory in the third and final game in Melbourne.

The Opals used the series to fine tune their preparations for the London Olympics and they did not disappoint the vocal crowd at the State Basketball Centre.

The hosts built their win on a dominant second quarter, when they outscored Brazil 22-9 to take a 43-27 lead into half-time.

They continued to apply the pressure in the third term when they set up a 72-46 advantage at the final break, before icing the win in the final quarter.

Liz Cambage was prominent on the scoreboard with a game-high 23 points, in addition to seven rebounds.

Lauren Jackson, playing her second game back from a hamstring injury, provided able assistance with 18 points, as did Jenna O'Hea, who added a 16-point tally.

Opals coach Carrie Graf was satisfied with the hit-out from her troops.

"Defensively we're getting much better, we have a great understanding of this opponent," she said.

"We got Lauren Jackson back on for major minutes. Things are on the up, we got better each game and it was nice to close out the series."

The Opals won 85-64 and 80-73 in the opening two games of the series.

Tags: basketball, sport, olympics-summer, melbourne-3000

First posted June 28, 2012 22:29:50

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Pregnant teen jailed for attack on Opals player

By court reporter Sarah Farnsworth

Updated August 03, 2012 14:31:39

A pregnant teenager who attacked Opals basketball player Rachel Jarry has been sentenced to three years in youth detention.

Jessica Croucher, 18, from Brunswick, pleaded guilty to seven charges resulting from a series of attacks against six people in January.

Her baby is due in November.

Rachel Jarry was punched and kicked to the ground during a bashing that lasted 90 seconds in Melbourne's CBD.

Her friend, Megan Hustwaite, suffered a fractured nose and black eye in the attack.

Outside court, Ms Hustwaite said her friend was lucky not to be seriously hurt.

"I'm really glad that she didn't have anything to her knees or her legs," she said.

"I was thinking that at the time, because it would just be horrific when you're trying to make an Olympic campaign to be sidelined because of something so awful as this."

Jarry, 20, is currently in London with the Opals basketball team.

Tags: law-crime-and-justice, courts-and-trials, basketball, assault, melbourne-3000

First posted August 03, 2012 11:05:45

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Opals hammer China

Updated July 21, 2012 13:28:05

The Australian women's basketball team scored a convincing 84-53 win over China in their opening game of the pre-Olympics tournament in France.

Lauren Jackson was on song with a 17-point haul, while Belinda Snell was a handy contributor with 16 points.

The victory was set up through a dominant opening two quarters with the Boomers having taken a 45-18 lead into half-time.

Tags: basketball, sport, olympics-summer, france

First posted July 21, 2012 13:28:05

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Opals cruise to comfortable win over Brazil

Updated June 27, 2012 08:38:58

Lauren Jackson returned from a hamstring injury to help fire the Opals to a comfortable 80-73 Farewell Series win over Brazil at a sold-out Bendigo Stadium on Tuesday night.

Jackson missed game one of the series but returned as equal top scorer with 15 points alongside Belinda Snell, despite spending just 17 minutes on court.

The 1.96-metre star also pulled down six rebounds as the Opals physically dominated their outmatched opponents before relaxing in the final period.

Australia led by as many as 24 points before being pegged back by a dogged fourth-quarter performance from Brazil, with the two sides paired in the same group at the London Olympics.

Damiris do Amaral top scored with 16 points for the visitors, while Karla Costa chimed in with 14 points.

The match marked a successful hometown farewell for Bendigo-born veteran Kristi Harrower, who celebrated her 200th game in Australian colours.

A teary-eyed Harrower paid tribute to the capacity crowd after the match.

"It was great to come home ... I'm lost for words," Harrower said.

The Opals downed Brazil 85-64 in game one of the three-game series.

The final game will take place at the State Basketball Centre in Knox on Thursday night.

The final game of the Farewell Series will be streamed live on the ABC Grandstand website from 7pm.

Tags: sport, olympics-summer, basketball, bendigo-3550, vic, australia

First posted June 26, 2012 21:12:35

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Opals cruise to comfortable opening win

Updated July 29, 2012 10:47:19

Australia has recorded an easy 74-58 win over host nation Great Britain in its opening Olympics women's basketball game.

Opals star Lauren Jackson led the way with 18 points, while veteran Suzy Batkovic chimed in with 12 as Australia dominated from start to finish against an outmatched British side.

Australia led at every quarter as Jackson and fellow star Liz Cambage dominated a host side roared on by a partisan crowd.

The Opals face a tougher test next time out against Group B opponent France, which downed Brazil 73-58 in its opener.

Meanwhile, the US its Olympics winning streak to 34 games spanning 20 years with an 81-56 win against Croatia, but it is not a streak that matters to coach Geno Auriemma.

"Right now, the only winning streak that we're talking about is try to win one in a row, eight times. If we can get that streak, then we'll be really happy," Auriemma said about a stretch of victories that would clinch London gold.

"We're not going to think about what the other teams did in the Olympics.

"That's not who we are, that was somebody else."

Winners of the last four Olympic titles since their last Games loss in 1992, the US survived a scare on the opening day of competition from Croatia, which is competing in the Olympic women's tournament for the first time.

The Americans led by just three points at intermission and by 53-47 going into the final quarter before pulling away as they wore down the game Croats with their depth of talent.

"It's the 12 best players in the world," Croatian coach Stipe Bralic said.

"Maybe the best women's team in the world ever.

"We played very well for 30, 32 minutes. But it's a 40-minute game."

In other results, EuroBasket champion Russia closed with an 18-3 run to overtake Canada 58-53, Turkey beat Angola 72-50 and China claimed a 66-57 win over the Czech Republic, silver medallists at the last world championships.

ABC/Reuters

Tags: olympics-summer, sport, basketball, england, united-kingdom, australia

First posted July 29, 2012 09:24:44

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Cambage dunk helps Opals slam Russia

Updated August 04, 2012 11:34:42

Liz Cambage has inspired the Opals to another win at the London Olympics, edging Russia in a hard-fought game 70-66.

The 203cm star top-scored with 17 points, including a rare dunk, as Australia improved its record to three wins from four games in Group B.

Cambage was ably supported by Suzy Batkovic who bagged 15 points as the Opals held onto a narrow lead for most of the game.

Australia threatened to pull clear in the final quarter, however Russia clawed their way back and at one stage got within two points.

But Cambage's dunk was all the talk after the game. She described it as an "out-of-body experience".

"It's good to finally just do it and get everyone off my back," she said.

"It was kind of like I had an out-of-body experience. I never do it in practice, I'm a bit shy about doing it, and it's the first time I've ever done it in a game.

"After I did it I tried to stay focused because everyone was joking on me."

Opals skipper Lauren Jackson was in awe of Cambage's effort.

"I have never seen one dunk in a game before," Jackson said.

"I was on the bench and I just couldn't believe it. It was different to Lisa Leslie (American who dunked the ball in a WNBA game), because that one was almost a lay-up.

"This one was much more a dunk."

Jackson was particularly happy with the Opals' victory as pressure builds for places heading into the play-offs.

"We won a tough game, which became more important because we did it after losing a tough game," Jackson said.

Meanwhile, the Czech Republic made a perfect start but the US enjoyed the happier ending as it extended its Olympic winning streak to 37 games with a 88-61 victory in Group A action.

The Czechs scored the first 10 points of the game and continued to rain down three-pointers for the rest of the first quarter before the US ratcheted up their defensive pressure to take control of the contest.

Diana Taurasi led the US with 18 points and Tina Charles scored 16.

Maya Moore added 14 and was a catalyst in the team's defensive turnaround.

"That's my job. When I get into the game, I want to create chaos for the other team as well as I can," Taurasi said.

The US will finish preliminary round action against China before lining up for a quarter-final next week in the pursuit of a fifth straight Olympic title.

ABC/Reuters

Tags: sport, basketball, olympics-summer, australia

First posted August 03, 2012 22:21:26

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Opals continue good form

Updated July 16, 2012 09:58:08

The Australian Opals defeated Angola 70-46 to claim a clean sweep of the Sheffield International Invitational Tournament in the lead-up to the London Olympics.

Liz Cambage top-scored for the game with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Abby Bishop chipped in with 15 points.

Coach Carrie Graf was satisfied with her team's performance as they now move on to France for their final pre-Olympic tournament.

"It was a great way to end the Sheffield leg, we made some good improvements here," Graf said.

"We now head to France for the final phase of our Olympic preparation. There are strong teams in the France tournament so we are looking forward to the match-ups there," she said.

Cambage said the players are thriving on the pre-Games competition.

"This has been a beneficial tournament for us, it was good to get these practice matches in before the Olympics," Cambage said.

"There is a great feeling on court, and I feel like we have done well to step up in the absence of our other bigs," she said.

The Opals' next games will be on July 20, 21 and 22.

Tags: sport, olympics-summer, basketball, england, united-kingdom

First posted July 16, 2012 09:58:08

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Opals shine in win over Brazil

Updated June 25, 2012 13:47:36

The Opals continued their build-up for the London Olympics with a 85-64 victory over Brazil in the opening game of the Farewell Series at Melbourne Park on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Boomers made it two from two for the host nation with an 87-60 victory over Greece, who they meet again in Knox on Monday.

The Opals, who were missing Lauren Jackson because of a hamstring injury, trailed the Brazilians by six points at half-time, but a strong third quarter from the hosts saw them lead by 14 points at the final change.

They iced the victory in the final term with Liz Cambage finishing with 18 points and Abby Bishop contributing a 17-point haul.

Iziane Marques was a shining light for Brazil, posting a game-high 26 points.

The Opals and Brazil meet again in Bendigo on Tuesday.

Patty Mills led the scoring for the Boomers with 21 points, ably supported by giant duo Aleks Maric and Aron Baynes who combined for 33 points.

The next match between the Opals and Brazil tips off at 7pm, Tuesday.

Watch the live ABC stream

Tags: basketball, sport, melbourne-3000

First posted June 24, 2012 21:31:24

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Don't underestimate Opals, Jackson warns

Updated June 22, 2012 16:54:47

Australian basketball superstar Lauren Jackson believes that despite the USA's on-court dominance the Opals have a shot at an Olympic upset in London.

Jackon was named for her fourth Olympic team on Friday as Basketball Australia announced the men's and women's squads for London.

Australia's men's team will benefit from the presence of Patty Mills, who is coming off a successful NBA season with San Antonio that saw the Spurs win 20 straight games before falling in the Western Conference Finals.

The Boomers will be led by veteran power forward Matt Nielsen, who is heading to his third Olympic Games.

Olympic gold has been elusive for the Opals, who won bronze in Atlanta in 1996 before taking three consecutive silver medals, falling in the final each time to the Americans.

"We've come so close so many times," Jackson admitted.

"We want to do exceptional things for sure, but it's just going to take time.

"The next month is going to be crucial for us [but] it's going to be fun. It's going to be a lot of fun."

Jackson's WNBA team-mate Sue Bird was quoted in the press recently as saying the six-foot-six Australian centre was not a cure-all for an under-strength team.

But Jackson played that off as friendly rivalry ahead of their respective London campaigns.

"Sue's my best friend and maybe they were taken out of context, maybe she really thinks that," she said.

"I've said that a lot in media before that America could probably take their A, B and C team and get gold, silver and bronze.

"I think that we've got a very good team and we've got a chance of doing something special.

"Sue may think that's sort of the way it's going to go down but ... I don't really care, it's just banter.

"For us we're just going to go out there and do our best and that's all we've ever done for the Australian team - give it our best shot and have no regrets at the end of it."

Bird's comments came after their Seattle Storm side struggled to find traction in the early stages of the season, with critics pointing to Jackson's absence as the key factor.

"Lauren would be new to this [losing] as well, and you don't know what it would be like," Bird said last month.

"As great as she is, she's not like some magic potion where she gets added and things all of a sudden click with everybody."

One notable gap in the Opals' roster is Penny Taylor, who was ruled out of contention for London in May with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Taylor, who can play at guard or forward, is considered one of the best women's basketballers in the world and was set for her third Olympic campaign before sustaining the injury playing for her Turkish club.

Jenna O'Hea, who plays in the WNBA for Los Angeles Sparks, will be contesting her first Olympics after missing out in 2008 and is expected to step up in Taylor's absence.

Young centre Liz Cambage will join Jackson in the Opals' front court in her maiden Olympic campaign.

Jackson said Australia's line-up possessed enough depth to cover for the 31-year-old.

"Penny's role is definitely going to be missed for sure, but we'll get everybody combining together to take on that pressure, that load," she said.

"You can't really expect [O'Hea] to come in and do all that and compensate for someone like Penny.

"But we've got a lot of players that can definitely step up and that's sort of why this preparation time is crucial, so that we can really maintain and figure out roles."

Boomers: Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Ingles, Adam Gibson, Peter Crawford, Brad Newley, David Barlow, David Andersen, Matt Nielsen, Mark Worthington, Aleks Maric, Aron Baynes

Opals: Lauren Jackson, Kristi Harrower, Belinda Snell, Jennifer Screen, Sam Richards, Rachel Jarry, Liz Cambage, Kathleen Macleod, Jenna O'Hea, Abby Bishop, Suzy Batkovic, Laura Hodges

Tags: basketball, sport, olympics-summer, australia

First posted June 22, 2012 12:54:20

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Opals too strong for Turkey

Updated June 09, 2012 12:40:20

The Australian women's basketball team began its European tour with a gritty 57-49 victory over Turkey in Karlovy Cary, Czech Republic.

Liz Cambage played a leading hand for the Opals with a 16-point haul and seven rebounds, and she was ably assisted by Abby Bishop, who tallied 12 points and six rebounds.

Lauren Jackson added a solid 10 points, with the Opals to meet Hungary in their next game on Sunday (AEST).

Tags: basketball, olympics-summer, sport, turkey

First posted June 09, 2012 12:40:20

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Opals face early mouth-watering clash

Updated May 25, 2012 06:47:42

The Opals will begin their Olympics campaign against Great Britain late on day one of the London Games.

Australia's women's basketball side has won the silver medal at three straight Olympics but go into London without star player Penny Taylor.

The men's side, the Boomers, will face Brazil in its opening match on day two, before facing a Spanish side featuring the Los Angeles Lakers' Pau Gasol on day four.

The Boomers face the hosts in a potentially crucial fourth match.

The two sides play on alternate days for the opening ten days of the Olympics and continue to do so if they reach the quarter-finals which begin on day 11 and 12 respectively.

Opals draw (times AEST):

Day 1: Sunday July 29, 7:15 - Australia v Great Britain

Day 3: Monday July 30, 23:30 - Qualifier 5 v Australia

Day 5: Wednesday August 1, 23:30 - Australia v Brazil

Day 7: Friday August 3, 20:15 - Russia v Australia

Day 9: Sunday August 5, 23:30 - Qualifier 3 v Australia

Boomers draw:

Day 2: Sunday July 29, 20:15 - Brazil v Australia

Day 4: Tuesday July 31, 20:15 - Australia v Spain

Day 6: Thursday August 2, 20:15 - Australia v China

Day 8: Sunday August 5, 5:00 - Great Britain v Australia

Day 10: Monday August 6, 18:00 - Australia v Qualifier 3

Tags: sport, basketball, olympics-summer, united-kingdom, australia

First posted May 25, 2012 06:47:42

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Cambage and Jackson chasing gold for Opals

Updated May 25, 2012 11:12:46

Australia's women basketballers have finished second to the US three times in a row and are keen to turn the tables at this year's Olympics.

The Opals' attempt to wrestle the Olympic gold medal away from the US will be led by two players at opposite ends of the career spectrum.

Liz Cambage, 20, will play in her first Olympics while Lauren Jackson, 31, is preparing for her fourth.

Both are big names in the American WNBA and will be strike weapons for the Opals in London.

Standing at six foot eight Cambage is a formidable player and last year was the number two pick in the WNBA draft.

Jackson was a number one draft pick for the Seattle Storm back in 2001 and went on to win three WNBA most valuable player awards.

ABC Olympic reporter Ben Knight speaks to both as they prepare for the 2012 Games.

Tags: olympics-summer, basketball, united-kingdom, australia

First posted May 25, 2012 11:10:09

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Injured Taylor confident in Opals

Updated May 07, 2012 16:01:04

An emotional Penny Taylor is confident she will be back on the basketball court in nine months after the knee injury which devastated her Olympic Games hopes.

Australian star Taylor suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in a game for her Turkish club Fenerbahce five weeks ago.

After recent surgery in Melbourne, 30-year-old Taylor says she expects to miss the entire American WNBA season and much of the European season as well as the Games in July before she returns.

Her injury robs the Opals - and the London Games - of one of the world's best women's basketballers.

But Taylor is confident Australia still has the firepower to finally break through for the gold medal that has been narrowly elusive in the past three Olympics - and beat the United States.

"Missing the WNBA, missing the Olympics, missing over half the European season, as far as my career goes, it's pretty devastating," Taylor said.

"We have some great talent. It'll be a group effort to get things going. The USA team is always really strong, strong in every position.

"We're going to be competitive and really strong going into this, and we've got players who've played there (at an Olympics), more than probably at the last Olympics, and they're going to have a great preparation."

Taylor had been playing career-best basketball in Europe before her injury.

She will do her injury rehabilitation in the United States with her WNBA club Phoenix Mercury.

The Opals, silver medallists in the past three Olympics, go into the first stage of an intensive pre-Games training camp in Canberra next week.

AAP

Tags: basketball, olympics-summer, sport, australia

First posted May 07, 2012 15:59:53

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Opals can cope without Penny: Jackson

Updated May 03, 2012 17:18:54

Opals ace Lauren Jackson believes Australia has the necessary depth to challenge for a medal despite Penny Taylor missing London 2012 through injury.

Alongside Jackson, Taylor was a vital figure in the Opals winning silver medals at Athens and Beijing and a gold medal in the 2006 World Championships.

Taylor suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury playing for Fenerbahce in the EuroLeague that ruled her out of the Games.

Although sad her long-time team-mate will not be with her in London, Jackson insists Australia has enough players to make up for her absence.

"There's a lot of talent, a lot of depth in our team," Jackson told Grandstand.

"Penny's a great player and we're going to miss her but we can't dwell on that.

"We need our players to move forward to believe enough in themselves that they can take on what Penny would have brought - the scoring and the defence.

"I think we have enough talent to deal with that. We have got the two months together as a team to work through that.

"With Jenna O'Hea, Belinda Snell, who is a veteran, we've got a lot of weapons, I think we'll be okay."

The three-time WNBL MVP, who is now full fit after a hip injury dogged her 2011 season, rejects any suggestion that Australia has an easy draw after being drawn in the opposite group to the United States at London 2012.

Australia is with Brazil, Britain, Russia and two qualifying teams in Group B while the United States will be joined by Angola, China and three qualifiers.

The United States has won gold at six of the last seven games but Jackson insists there will be no complacency amongst the Opals.

"I don't think anyone's going to be complacent. The rest of the world's catching up," Jackson said.

"Great Britain has (former Opals coach) Tom Maher as their coach so you know they're going to be tough ... Brazil has some great players coming through and Russia (are a) powerhouse.

"It's going to be a tough pool but no tougher than we've experienced before."

Tags: sport, olympics-summer, basketball, australia

First posted May 03, 2012 17:16:32

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Opals lose Penny Taylor for Olympics

Updated April 11, 2012 12:33:30

Australian basketball coach Carrie Graf has described the loss of Penny Taylor to injury as a devastating blow to the country's Olympic hopes.

Basketball Australia this morning confirmed Taylor will miss the London Games with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The 30-year-old will have an operation in Melbourne next week and will miss the rest of the year.

"It's a devastating blow to our team and certainly to Penny herself as an athlete," Graf said.

"You know she was going to her third Olympic Games, she's a legitimate world superstar player and a huge part of her campaign, so devastating for Penny and certainly a big blow to our team."

Taylor injured her knee playing for her Turkish club Fenerbahce in the EuroLeague.

Scans have shown she has torn her anterior cruciate ligament and will have to undergo surgery.

The 30-year-old has been part of every major Australian women's basketball success for the past decade, including their 2006 world championship win and Olympic silver medals in Athens and Beijing.

Taylor has also won an American WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury.

The Victorian would have been a certain selection in the Opals' final 12 for London, which would have been her third Olympic Games.

Taylor's injury will also rule her out of the Mercury's upcoming WNBA season starting next month.

She has been in superb club form, recently being named European player of the year for 2011 by respected web site Eurobasket.com after averaging more than 19 points a game for Fenerbahce.

AAP

Tags: sport, olympics-summer, basketball, australia, united-kingdom

First posted April 11, 2012 08:05:25

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No surpirses in Opals prelim squad

Updated February 16, 2012 19:44:20

Australian women's basketball coach Carrie Graf has called in the superstars, but also rewarded those who secured Olympic qualification in a preliminary Games squad featuring few surprises.

Lauren Jackson, Penny Taylor and Liz Cambage headline the 24-player squad as expected.

But Graf has also kept faith with the best performers in the second-tier outfit, which secured Olympic qualification last September, clean-sweeping the Oceania series against New Zealand.

Talls Suzy Batkovic and Abby Bishop, and Hungarian-based small forward Hanna Zavecz have all been included.

The three were excellent against the Tall Ferns, while Batkovic and Bishop have been dominant for the Adelaide Lightning this season in the WNBL.

The Opals' Games preparation starts with a selection camp in mid-March ahead of the official pre-Olympic training camp in May at the AIS.

Also included in the squad is veteran point guard Kristi Harrower, who has been playing well in the WNBL for Bendigo Spirit despite battling injuries for the past 12 months.

Graf sees the 36-year-old, who is aiming to make her fourth Olympics, as a vital part of the squad if she can maintain her fitness ahead of the tournament.

The final Olympic squad will be named in late June.

Opals squad: Suzy Batkovic, Abby Bishop, Liz Cambage, Rohanee Cox, Rachael Flanagan, Cayla Francis, Kristi Harrower, Laura Hodges, Natalie Hurst, Lauren Jackson, Rachel Jarry, Kathleen Macleod, Jenna O'Hea, Elyse Penaluna, Erin Phillips, Alicia Poto, Sam Richards, Jennifer Screen, Belinda Snell, Penny Taylor, Marianna Tolo, Kristen Veal, Carly Wilson, Hanna Zavecz

AAP

Tags: basketball, sport, australia

First posted February 16, 2012 19:44:20

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Opals overpower China for clean sweep

Updated July 30, 2011 22:50:09

The Australian women's basketball team proved it has plenty of firepower without star Lauren Jackson, annihilating a near-full strength China 98-72 in Cairns on Saturday night.

After two tough victories in Logan and Townsville earlier this week the Australians had it all their own way to seal a perfect 3-0 series result.

A 12-point run from the Opals in the second-quarter killed the hopes of the visitors with every player clocking good minutes in a display sure to give head coach Carrie Graf confidence heading into Olympic qualifiers in September.

Abby Bishop (20 points) did the damage in the first half before Suzy Batkovic (19 points) took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second in her trademark brutal fashion.

With the game wrapped up Kristen Veal added the icing with back-to-back triples to help nudge the margin to a game high 30.

Lijie Miao was the game's top scorer with 23 points for the Chinese but her efforts could not stop the all-round Australian dominance.

The Australians matched the physicality of the Chinese women but also showed they had pace too, moving well from defence.

Guards Kristen Veal, Hanna Zavecz and Carly Wilson had the Chinese offence worked out in what was their third clash inside a week, managing to grab regular intercepts despite the presence of giant 207cm centre Wei Wei.

Together they stifled the visitors, going on a 12-point run to set up a lead of 17 at the main break.

The Opals tinkered with their line-up from the outset, injecting bench trio Cayla Francis, Jessica Bibby and Batkovic after five minutes.

They were up to the task and helped the Australians take a five point lead into the second quarter.

Opals top scorer Bishop was reluctant to take credit for the win, saying it was a matter of just doing her bit.

"Someone steps up each game, we all do our job and I think we're happy with where we are at as a group leading into these qualifiers," she said.

Graf paid tribute to her side's stamina and depth.

"I think we wore them down a bit in the end," she said.

"Each of these girls is going to be part of the Opals set up, some will definitely be in that Olympic team but some further down the track and they are all showing that they deserve to be there by how they are performing at the moment."

AAP

Tags: basketball, sport, cairns-4870, qld, australia, china

First posted July 30, 2011 21:20:55

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Opals qualify for London Games

Updated September 09, 2011 20:26:58

The Opals have given themselves a shot at a fifth successive Olympic Games medal, booking their tickets to London next year by beating New Zealand in their qualifying series.

Australia's 92-73 victory in Brisbane on Friday night put it 2-0 up in the best-of-three Oceania championship series and ensured direct qualification for London.

The Opals, silver medallists at the past three Olympics, had won game one in Melbourne on Wednesday night.

Bench tall Elyse Penaluna starred along with giant centre Suzy Batkovic, as the Tall Ferns struggled to cope with their size and power in the paint.

Batkovic top-scored with 19 points and pulled down nine rebounds after a similar starring role in game one, while Penaluna poured in 11 of her 17 points in a third quarter burst which swung the match the Opals' way.

Guard Micaela Cocks and forward Natalie Taylor top-scored for New Zealand with 17 points apiece.

The Opals ambushed the Tall Ferns with their size advantage in the first quarter, taking a 14-point lead to the first break as Batkovic and Abby Bishop dominated early at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

Despite New Zealand pulling them back in the second quarter, it always looked a retractable lead the Opals were capable of stretching once they found another gear.

That they did late in the third quarter.

Australia pushed its lead out to 14 again by the final break as Penaluna lit up, hammering home once more the Opals' size advantage and depth.

Opals coach Carrie Graf paid tribute to a squad without its WNBA stars and key injured players being able to get the job done.

"It was ultimately about finding ways to win, so credit to this particular team of Opals to do their job as part of our Olympic campaign, to make sure we're qualified and going to London," she said.

"I thought our containment defence at time was lacking, our ability to make two-foot shots was a problem.

"There's still a lot of things for us to tidy up."

Graf said she was likely to experiment in game three at the Sydney Entertainment Centre now it was effectively a dead rubber.

Game three in the Oceania series will be played in Sydney on Sunday.

New Zealand coach Kennedy Kereama hopes his side can now gain the required funding from Kiwi authorities to compete at next year's repechage tournament, as well as some good quality lead-up games.

The top five sides from the 12-team tournament - which will also feature teams from Europe, Africa, South and Central America who have not qualified directly - will win inclusion for London.

AAP

Tags: basketball, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia, new-zealand

First posted September 09, 2011 19:31:20

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Boomers follow Opals to London

Updated September 09, 2011 22:26:24

Australia's men's basketball team has joined the women at the London Olympics with a series-clinching 81-64 victory over New Zealand in Brisbane.

While the Opals qualified with a reasonably comfortable 19-point win, the Boomers needed a huge final quarter to post a 17-point victory in their game two at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

"We've worked a long time for this and every since we went to Beijing I know it's a massive focus for us to get back to this point and it feels pretty good," skipper Matthew Nielsen told Grandstand.

"New Zealand is a tough team and we've played a lot of good European teams in the last two months, and no one's competed with us like they have.

"It's credit to them and good luck to them."

Trailing by two points at the end of the third quarter and the game in the balance, the Boomers men dug deep in every facet of the game - rebounding, scoring and defence - to see off the stubborn Tall Blacks.

They limited New Zealand to just 10 points for the final term - the bulk of which came after Australia's sensational 23-3 run which secured passage to London in the most emphatic style.

Boomer Brad Newley top-scored for his side with 12 points.

But much of the fourth quarter energy came from centre Aleks Maric, who poured in seven of his nine points in the term along with three vital boards.

"We don't rely on anyone on every night, which is a good thing going into a game," Nielsen said.

"Because you know someone can have an off night and it's not going to affect your team."

Boomers coach Brett Brown was ecstatic with the evenness of his side's effort as it lifted when it needed to.

"We did it by committee, we did it with a team, it was a true team effort," he said.

"We've got depth, we've got toughness, we did it with our defence and our defence generated our offence in that (fourth) period.

"To finally close the deal and get it done is a fantastic accomplishment."

New Zealand skipper Kirk Penney led the way for his side with 17 points.

The Tall Blacks were not helped with starters Tom Abercrombie and Mika Vukona fouling out early in the fourth term, leaving the visitors undermanned and outmatched at the most crucial time.

"At the end of it, it seemed we just ran out of gas in the fourth quarter," New Zealand forward Casey Frank said.

"When you lose two of your three best players, with a handicap like that it's always going to be difficult for us."

The Tall Blacks also lost guard Corey Webster prior to game one after Basketball New Zealand called him home after confirmation he returned a positive drugs test during an NBL game last season.

Both Australian teams have now qualified for next year's Games, regardless of the results in game three in Sydney on Sunday.

New Zealand's teams have a second chance to qualify for London through worldwide repechage tournaments to be held next year.

ABC/AAP

Tags: basketball, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia, new-zealand

First posted September 09, 2011 22:04:06

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