SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic Junior Laurie Koehn was one of five players in double figures with 11 points, as she helped the U.S. guarantee itself a spot in the medal round of the 2003 Pan American Games with a 93-78 victory over Argentina on Tuesday at the J.P. Duarte Center.
Georgetowns Rebekkah Brunson and Tennessees Loree Moore paced the U.S. attack with 12 points each, while Koehn, Texas Jamie Carey and Florida States Roneeka Hodges chipped in 11 points apiece. Brunson, Moore and Stanfords Nicole Powell led the team in rebounding with six each. Overall, Koehn went 4-of-8 from the field, including 3-of-7 from three-point range, with one assist in 16 minutes of action. She and Carey combined to connect on 6-of-11 shots from beyond the arc.
I thought we didnt handle the pressure well in the first half, the physical part of the game, said U.S. coach Debbie Ryan. We put together a series of scores and stops and tightened it up in the second half. We are a lot more comfortable as a team now. Everyone seems more in rhythm. Weve gotten better defensively each game.
The win assured the U.S. a berth in the medal round, which will be comprised of the four top teams in the standings after Wednesdays final games in round-robin play among the six participating countries. Semifinals will be played Friday at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. CST. The medal games will be held Saturday with the bronze medal game set for 2 p.m. and the gold medal game at 4 p.m.
For the second consecutive game, the U.S. shot over 50 percent from the field, as the team connected on an impressive 52.6 percent of its field goals against Argentina. Although they shot just 37.5 percent from three-point range, the squad broke the single-game record for three-point field goals attempted in a game for the second time in 24 hours with 24 against Argentina. The team was a mere one three-point field goal away (nine) from breaking the record for most makes (10) set against Brazil on Tuesday. The U.S. also dominated the boards against the Argentines by a 39-16 margin.
After a U.S. basket made the score 27-20 with 7:36 left in the half, Argentina fashioned a 13-2 run to go in front 33-29 with 2:31 remaining. Team USA regained the lead with a pair of free throws by Hodges and a three-pointer by Koehn, but Argentina answered with two baskets sandwiched between a Powell free throw to take a 39-37 at halftime.
The U.S. took control of the game in the third quarter, opening with an 11-4 run to take a 48-43 lead on Careys three-pointer from the leftside with 6:29 left in the period. The Americans then used an effective inside-out game to reel off nine unanswered points, capped by a Carey three-pointer from NBA range, to push their advantage to 57-43 with 2:36 showing.
Leading 67-52 after the third period, the U.S. never allowed Argentina to get closer than 11 points the reminder of the game, which disintegrated into a parade of fouls and free throws in the fourth quarter. Thirty-one of the games 55 personal fouls were called in the second half, with 18 of those in the fourth quarter alone, and a total of five players fouled out of the game. Argentina scored 16 of its 31 second half points from the free throw line, while the USAs last 10 came from the stripe.
After four games, Koehn is averaging 7.0 points and 0.8 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game for the U.S. team. She has connected on 10-of-21 (47.6 percent) field goals, including 10-of-21 from three-point range. Brunson is pacing the American team in both scoring (11.0 points per game) and rebounding (6.8 per game), while Carey is averaging 10.3 points per game.
The U.S. (3-1) continues play on Wednesday at 4 p.m. (CST) facing host Dominican Republic, which was winless in three games going into Tuesdays contest with Brazil.
