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Paris, USA Outlast Cuba, 85-79
September 26, 2007 | Women's Basketball
Sept. 26, 2007
VALDIVIA, Chile -- It took all four quarters to prove it, but the USA Women's Senior National Team was the best team on the court Wednesday afternoon in an 85-79 triumph over Cuba in both team's opening game of the FIBA Americas Tournament.
Candace Parker supplied 21 points, Diana Taurasi scored 16 and Tina Thompson added 13 as the United States (1-0) outlasted Cuba (0-1).
Taurasi and Thompson sat for the final four minutes with foul trouble in a crucial stretch where Cuba tied the score at 71-71.
Katie Smith fired three consecutive 3s, Parker blocked a shot and Seimone Augustus made a layup off a cross-court pass from Sue Bird to gain a 7-point advantage. The Americans led 82-73 with less than two minutes on the clock.
The U.S. struggled to grab boards against Cuba's Yakelyn Plutn and was outrebounded 42-37. A somewhat undersized U.S. team gave up several points and second chances inside to the Cuban team.
Plutn recorded a double-double for Cuba with a game-leading 23 points and 10 rebounds.
The U.S. was shooting under 40 percent for most of the game until the final scoring stretch late in the fourth quarter. The United States finished at 46 percent from the field to Cuba's 53 percent.
The United States scored the first two buckets for a 4-0 lead, but never looked sharp in the first half and was tied 17-17 at the end of the first quarter and trailed 34-33 at the intermission. Aside from Taurasi's three 3-pointers, the USA was 0-for-5 beyond the arc.
The Cubans extended the advantage to 58-55 at the end of the third quarter before the U.S. rallied.
Oklahoma center Courtney Paris entered the game in the first quarter in hopes of attracting extra attention inside, but the Americans were unable to capitalize on perimeter shooting during her five minutes on the court.
Paris scored one point.
The United States will face Jamaica on Thursday. Jamaica lost to Canada 68-47 in its opening game on Wednesday.
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