MEDELLIN (Colombia) - Coming into the competition, Bay Area Phoenix had a simple goal: return home with a title. On Friday evening, at the Coliseo Iván de Bedout in Medellin, Colombia, they took one step closer, defeating Sportiva Italiana 94-93 in a double-overtime thriller.
Phoenix got off to a hot start, led by 10 first-quarter points from Rebecca Harris, a standout throughout the competition. They opened a lead of as many as nine points over Sportiva with less than two minutes remaining in the quarter. But the Chilean side didn’t back down, Manuela Rios and Dorie Harrison scored six points each to trim the gap to just four, ending the first quarter with Phoenix up 22-18. The teams were evenly matched, with strength on the boards, defensive intensity, and physicality. Phoenix held the lead for most of the second quarter as Ameela Li contributed six points, while Doris Jones added to the scoring. A fadeaway jumper from Harrison, however, gave Sportiva their first lead to close the first half at 42-41. Rios and Harrison were key on both ends for Sportiva, with Rios as the primary playmaker and Harrison dominating the boards. Bench support from Antonia Andaur boosted Sportiva’s offense against a solid Phoenix defense. Phoenix came out determined in the third quarter, and a 7-0 run from Harris, Li, and Mo Bennett helped them regain a comfortable lead. Andaur and Harrison responded to cut it back to one. Jazmine Jackson hit a big three-pointer, followed by another from Harris and a layup from Li, extending Phoenix’s lead to nine.
Rios, with a hot hand, answered with six points, and the teams went back and forth. Rios capped her 10-point quarter with a final basket, making it a one-point game, 62-61, in Phoenix’s favor. Phoenix struggled to contain Rios, as fouling only sent her to the line. Harris and Jones countered with six quick points, and Jackson hit another big three-pointer to match Rios’s scoring. With Sportiva’s focus on Rios, Sofía Antezana stepped up in the fourth quarter. Tied at 78-78 with 29 seconds left, a Jackson steal set up one final three-point attempt from Li, but the shot didn’t fall, sending the game into overtime. In overtime, both teams left it all on the court. Points from Bennett and Li were answered by Rios and Antezana, and with seven seconds remaining, Rios’s two free throws pushed the game into a second overtime. Defense and rebounding intensified in the second overtime, with each team grabbing crucial steals. It took nearly two minutes before Mariah Cooks broke the deadlock with a free throw. Rios responded with a layup to put Sportiva up, but Kamilah Jackson added five points while Andaur and Antezana both hit big threes. Jazmine Jackson’s three-point play with 16 seconds left gave Phoenix a one-point lead. Antezana had a final chance with a three-pointer that would’ve won it for Sportiva, but Jackson’s precision on the foul line held for a Phoenix victory, keeping them undefeated.
Harris and Li each scored 20 points for Phoenix, with Harris recording a double-double with 12 rebounds, while Bennett dominated the boards with a 13-point, 21-rebound performance. Rios led Sportiva with an impressive triple-double of 37 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, and Harrison added a double-double with 18 points and 19 rebounds, while Andaur chipped in 14 points. FIBA