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Benningfield and USA Basketball Squad Take Silver Medal at Pam American Games 8-11-03 8/11/2003 Tapping its years of experience and recent familiarity with its opponent, defending Pan American Games champ Cuba (6-1) ran to a 75-64 victory over the USA Basketball Women’s Pan American Games team (5-2) to claim the gold medal Saturday evening in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The win was Cuba’s fifth over the USA squad in 18 days, including three exhibition games in Havana prior to the start of the Pan Am tournament. The United States, which has always finished among the top three at the 12 Pan Ams held since they began in 1955, has now captured six golds, four silvers and two bronze medals, while compiling a 67-12 overall record (.848 winning percentage) in Pan American Games play. “I thought we played tight in the first half,” said U.S. head coach Debbie Ryan (University of Virginia). “We made several good runs at them, but they were never enough to take the lead. They’re very physical on defense and bigger than we are. We were never able to get into a rhythm. We were unlucky early, but it was because we were going too fast. We were playing at their pace, and it’s difficult to stay with them when playing at that tempo. “I’m proud of the effort of this team over the entire trip,” added the Americans’ mentor. “This team came together in a big, big way. I’m pleased and proud that we were able to represent the United States in the gold medal game.” Cuba used its up-tempo game to break out on top early and rattle the younger American team, and while the USA was successful in getting the ball inside, it was unable to get a number of close shots to fall. Cuba led 20-15 midway through the second quarter and the Cubans then assembled a 10-2 run to take a 30-17 lead with 4:33 left in the half. Loree Moore (Tennessee/Harbor City, Calif.) and Laurie Koehn (Kansas State University/ Hesston, Kan.) combined for an 8-2 run to cut the gap to 32-25 with 3:41 to go. Cuba closed out the half with two baskets in the paint while the USA was only able to tally a Moore free throw and heading to the locker room at intermission Cuba held the upper hand 36-26. The USA trimmed the margin to four after a basket in the paint by Rebekkah Brunson (Georgetown/Oxon Hill, Md.) made the score 45-41 with 5:16 left in the third period. Cuba then went on yet another run, this one a 13-5 spurt that pushed its lead to 58-46 with 2:05 left in the period and at the end of the third quarter the score stood at 60-51. “We were able to pick it up in the second half,” commented Brunson. “We had all the chances in the world to win the game. Whenever we had a run, we’d have a lapse right after that.” A Brunson basket to open the fourth quarter lifted the USA’s hopes, but Cuba reeled off six unanswered points to push the margin out to 13, 66-53, with 7:01 remaining. A 3-point play by Brunson with 2:33 cut the Cuban lead to six at 70-64, but the USA’s scoring ended there and the Cubans closed the deal with a Yakelin Plutin 3-point play and a pair of Liset Castillo free throws for the final 74-64 score. The USA was led by Brunson’s 16 points, while Moore added 13 and a game best three steals, Jenni Benningfield (Vanderbilt/Louisville, Ky.) recorded 10 and added a team high four assists. Moore led all rebounders with nine boards. Yamile Martinez led all scorers with 21 points, receiving support from Yuliseni Soria’s 16. Chilled shooting was the key factor in the USA loss. While outrebounding Cuba 35 to 32 and winning the battle of turnovers 14 to 15, the USA managed to make just 35.0 percent (21-60 FGs) from the field, and only 3-of-17 (.176 percent) from 3-point range. Cuba, meanwhile, hit on 50.0 percent (28-56 FGs) of its shots, but was successful on only 1-of-15 (.067 percent) attempts from 3-point. In the bronze medal contest, Brazil (5-2) bounced back from the disappointment of its overtime loss to the U.S. in Friday’s semifinals, and defeated Canada (2-5) 57-46.
Additional Quotes & USA Team Notes Jenni Benningfield (Vanderbilt) “We didn’t play our best in the first half, but we kept fighting and we had our chances. Cuba was the better team tonight. Still, it’s an honor to stand on the podium representing your country and have a medal hanging around your neck.” Laurie Koehn (Kansas State) “We were hoping to do better. There was tremendous effort from all of our players. We wanted to win it all, but that wasn’t possible tonight. This has been a great all-around experience for me. I know I’ve learned a lot, but it’s difficult to put into words right now. I know there will be a time in the coming season where I’ll be in a situation and I’ll tap into the experience I’ve gained here to help me be successful.” Ann Strother (Connecticut) “This has been an amazing experience, just so much fun. When we first came together, we didn’t expect to get to the gold medal game, but we came a long way in three weeks. A lot has transpired, and I’m proud of the way the players of this team came together.” Barbara Turner (Connecticut) “It’s a great feeling to win an NCAA title, but there’s no feeling like competing for a gold medal for your country.” Jamie Carey (Texas) On earning the silver medal: “It hurts a bit right now. We had our sights set on the gold, but it still is a tremendous honor to stand on the medal podium for the United States.” On her international experience: “It’s been a great experience. I’ve learned a lot about the physical nature of international play. I know this will help me in the college setting. Because of all the contact (in international basketball), you have to be more crafty in making moves to get open.” USA TEAM NOTES Facing the Cubans Again The gold medal game marked the fifth time this American squad has met the Cubans in the past three weeks, with the Cuban sweeping the series. The USA lost three exhibition games played in Cuba before coming to Santo Domingo for the Pan American Games. Playing the first game of the tournament at 9 a.m. on Aug. 2, the Cubans downed the USA 84-62. Since then things have changed: the muggy environment of the J.P. Duarte Center has cooled off considerably as the organizers have cranked up the air conditioning, and the USA team went on a five-win tear, playing as a more cohesive unit. Cuba’s lone loss in the tournament was at the hands of Brazil (79-70), a team the USA defeated twice to reach the gold medal game. This is the first time since 1979 that the USA faced Cuba with a medal on the line. Team USA versus Cuba In Pan Am history, Team USA is now 7-6 against Cuba, but recent meetings haven’t gone well for the United States. Cuba has won the last four meetings with USA in the Pan Ams, going back to the 1991 Games in Havana. The last USA victory was on Cuban home soil, a 91-71 decision in the final round-robin game in Havana. Cuba came back in the following contest to score an 86-81 victory and earn the silver medal. Cuba ranks second in wins over the USA in Pan American competition with four (Brazil has the most, with six) but has the best winning percentage (46.2 percent) of any Pan American team in competition with the USA. Smallest USA Victory Margin1 point, (63-62, 1971) Largest USA Victory Margin20 points (91-71, 1991) Smallest Cuba Victory Margin5 points (91-86, 1979; 86-81, 1991) Largest Cuba Victory Margin31 points (95-64, 1999) D?j? Vu? It was d?j? vu all over again for the American team. In the 1979 Pan American Games in Puerto Rico, the USA met Brazil in a semifinal game, then faced Cuba in the gold medal game. The Americans easily downed the Brazilians, 111-73, before falling to host Cuba in the gold medal game by a 91-86 margin, giving the USA its third silver medal in four Pan Am Games after opening with three straight golds. Medal History The silver medal continues a string that has seen the USA women emerge from every (12) Pan American Games with a medal of some hue. The USA has won the gold six times, the silver four times and the bronze twice. The last gold medal came in 1987 in Indianapolis, when a team led by Teresa Edwards, Cynthia Cooper and Katrina McClain went undefeated, downing Brazil 111-87 in the gold medal game. Line Perfect When the USA went to the free throw line Friday night against Brazil, every player was dead solid perfect as the Americans made all 18 of their free throw attempts. It is the second time that the USA has been perfect at the stripe in Pan Am play. Friday’ effort slightly shaded a 17-of-17 game against Mexico in 1955. The USA team shot 73.9 percent (116-157 FTs) from the line, as opposed to 70.3 percent by the opponents. Record Obliteration The 2003 version of the USA Basketball Women’s Pan American Games shattered their tournament records for 3-point goals made and attempted. The old marks were 19 made out of 67 attempts, both set in Winnipeg in 1999. The 2003 team connected on 52 attempts in 132 tries. Amazingly, the Big XII tandem of Jamie Carey (Texas / Thornton, Colo.) and Laurie Koehn (Kansas State / Hesston, Kan.) have combined to make more treys (13 and 17, respectively, for a total of 27) than the 1999 team did to set the tournament record. Individually, Koehn and Carey are 1-2 in career 3-pointers made by USA players in the Pan American Games, and Koehn made 56.7 percent from three which ranks second among USA Pan Am participants all-time and Carey’s 46.4 percentage ranks fourth. Carey’s team leading 93.3 percent (14-15 FTS) from the foul line is the second best by a U.S. play in Pan Am competition. Additionally, Rebekkah Brunson’s (Georgetown/Oxon Hill, Md.) 39 total rebounds ranks as the fourth most all-time by a USA player in the Pan American Games, while her six blocked shots lists second. Also, Loree Moore’s (Tennessee/Harbor City, Calif.) 18 steals places her tied for first on the USA all-time Pam-Am list. |
