USA pull away from Japan after halftime, stay on track for sixth gold in a row
RIO DE JANEIRO (Rio 2016 Olympic Games) - The USA took control of their Quarter-Final against Japan in the second half to register a 110-64 win on Tuesday evening and remain on course for a sixth gold
RIO DE JANEIRO (Rio 2016 Olympic Games) - The USA took control of their Quarter-Final against Japan in the second half to register a 110-64 win on Tuesday evening and remain on course for a sixth gold medal in a row at the Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament.
The Asian champions put on a spirited performance throughout the first half and in the early stages of the third quarter, before the Americans went on a trademark run to blow the game wide open and end up with a comfortable win.
In Thursday's Semi-Finals, the USA will face the winners of Tuesday's last Quarter-Final, between France and Canada.
Turning Point: Japan trailed 30-23 after the first quarter but fought back to get within 46-44 on Ramu Tokashiki's lay-up with 2:01 to go in the second. Down 56-46 at halftime, Sanae Motokawa scored four quick points at the start of the third quarter to cut the deficit to just six. The USA then outscored them 25-9 the rest of that period for a commanding 81-59 lead and Geno Auriemma's charged sealed the win with a 29-5 fourth quarter.
Stats Don't Lie: The USA scored 50 points in the paint on 25-of-39 shooting (64 percent) while Japan had only 24 on 12-of-34 (35 percent).
Hero: Maya Moore was in attack mode, scoring 19 points in as many minutes of play. She shot 7-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-3 from three-point range.
The Bottom Line: Japan deserve a lot of credit for giving the USA probably the most competitive 22-minute span of any team in the competition so far.
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