FIBA Basketball
FIBA - Opals thrash Tall Ferns for Commonwealth gold
MELBOURNE (Commonwealth Games) - Australia lived up to their pre-tournament billing of overwhelming favourites by thrashing New Zealand 77-39 to win Commonwealth gold in the women's basketball.The Opals were dominant throughout the competition, but never more so than in the final when they made the Tall Ferns, who started the Games as the only team likely to challenge them for gold, look
MELBOURNE (Commonwealth Games) - Australia lived up to their pre-tournament billing of overwhelming favourites by thrashing New Zealand 77-39 to win Commonwealth gold in the women's basketball.
The Opals were dominant throughout the competition, but never more so than in the final when they made the Tall Ferns, who started the Games as the only team likely to challenge them for gold, look distinctly ordinary.
Australia were quick out of the blocks and led 23-11 after the first quarter, however it was the middle two periods where they stamped their authority on the game.
New Zealand were limited to just 14 points during that time while the Opals poured in 37 to extend their lead to 60-25 heading into the final period.
The Tall Ferns put up a fight in the closing stages but they were still no match for Australia who comfortably held on to claim the first-ever Commonwealth gold medal for basketball.
The Boomers can make it a golden double for Australia when they play in the men's final on Friday, New Zealand again the providing the opposition in Melbourne.
Australia ace Lauren Jackson was one of only two players in the whole game who reached doubles figures in scoring and her 23-point haul was more than twice that of her nearest challenger, Belinda Snell of Australia finishing with 10 points.
New Zealand's leading player was captain Donna Loffhagen, who scored a team-high of just eight points but also pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds - 12 of which were on defence.
Jackson, arguably the world's best player who stars in the WNBA for the Seattle Storm, could barely hide her delight at winning gold.
"This is so awesome. To play in front of this crowd is something I will never forget. I never thought I would get the chance to play for my country again in Australia," she said.
Coach Jan Stirling added: "I'm really proud of my girls and I'm also proud of the Melbourne public. I think they have got the same thrill out of us winning gold as we have and you couldn't ask for much more than that."
Stirling's counterpart with New Zealand Mike McHugh had few complaints with either the result or his side's performance.
"I thought our offence was pretty good early. I was very proud of our kids. We lost by 38 but we still won silver."
Tall Ferns ace Angela Marino summed up the final by saying: "It was a physical game. They were better than us. Australia is number two in the world and Lauren Jackson is number one."
Earlier, England won the bronze medal after edging out Nigeria 78-75 in a match that went right to the wire.
England, for whom Andrea Congreaves scored a game-high 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds, lost the final quarter 29-23 but had enough in the bank to hold on for the win.
Funmi Ojelabi had a chance to put Nigeria ahead in the closing stages but she missed her lay-up and soon after Rashidat Sadiq failed twice from the free throw line as the African side spurned the opportunities that were available to them to snatch the bronze.
England then went up the other end and forward Shelly Boston downed a baseline jumper with six seconds left to clinch the victory.
Winning captain Claire Maytham was delighted to see her side bounce back from their semi-final defeat to New Zealand and end the tournament on a high.
"After the disappointment of the defeat against New Zealand we regrouped and knew it was important to get a result in this game," she said.
"We are all very emotional right now, but we are ecstatic to be coming home with a medal."
Forward/guard Katie Crowley added: "This is a fantastic result for the team and hopefully for women's basketball in England."
Nigeria coach Scott Nnaji was proud of his side's performance in the tournament, especially as they hadn't had much time together as a team.
"We tried hard by we ran short on players due to injury. Some of our players are playing together for the first time.
"Good effort from them (England)."
Scorers
Australia 77 – Lauren Jackson 21, Belinda Snell 10, Katrina Hibbert 6, Tully Bevilaqua.
New Zealand 39 – Donna Loffhagen 8, Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe 7.
From Mike Perez, PA Sport, Melbourne
The Opals were dominant throughout the competition, but never more so than in the final when they made the Tall Ferns, who started the Games as the only team likely to challenge them for gold, look distinctly ordinary.
Australia were quick out of the blocks and led 23-11 after the first quarter, however it was the middle two periods where they stamped their authority on the game.
New Zealand were limited to just 14 points during that time while the Opals poured in 37 to extend their lead to 60-25 heading into the final period.
The Tall Ferns put up a fight in the closing stages but they were still no match for Australia who comfortably held on to claim the first-ever Commonwealth gold medal for basketball.
The Boomers can make it a golden double for Australia when they play in the men's final on Friday, New Zealand again the providing the opposition in Melbourne.
Australia ace Lauren Jackson was one of only two players in the whole game who reached doubles figures in scoring and her 23-point haul was more than twice that of her nearest challenger, Belinda Snell of Australia finishing with 10 points.
New Zealand's leading player was captain Donna Loffhagen, who scored a team-high of just eight points but also pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds - 12 of which were on defence.
Jackson, arguably the world's best player who stars in the WNBA for the Seattle Storm, could barely hide her delight at winning gold.
"This is so awesome. To play in front of this crowd is something I will never forget. I never thought I would get the chance to play for my country again in Australia," she said.
Coach Jan Stirling added: "I'm really proud of my girls and I'm also proud of the Melbourne public. I think they have got the same thrill out of us winning gold as we have and you couldn't ask for much more than that."
Stirling's counterpart with New Zealand Mike McHugh had few complaints with either the result or his side's performance.
"I thought our offence was pretty good early. I was very proud of our kids. We lost by 38 but we still won silver."
Tall Ferns ace Angela Marino summed up the final by saying: "It was a physical game. They were better than us. Australia is number two in the world and Lauren Jackson is number one."
Earlier, England won the bronze medal after edging out Nigeria 78-75 in a match that went right to the wire.
England, for whom Andrea Congreaves scored a game-high 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds, lost the final quarter 29-23 but had enough in the bank to hold on for the win.
Funmi Ojelabi had a chance to put Nigeria ahead in the closing stages but she missed her lay-up and soon after Rashidat Sadiq failed twice from the free throw line as the African side spurned the opportunities that were available to them to snatch the bronze.
England then went up the other end and forward Shelly Boston downed a baseline jumper with six seconds left to clinch the victory.
Winning captain Claire Maytham was delighted to see her side bounce back from their semi-final defeat to New Zealand and end the tournament on a high.
"After the disappointment of the defeat against New Zealand we regrouped and knew it was important to get a result in this game," she said.
"We are all very emotional right now, but we are ecstatic to be coming home with a medal."
Forward/guard Katie Crowley added: "This is a fantastic result for the team and hopefully for women's basketball in England."
Nigeria coach Scott Nnaji was proud of his side's performance in the tournament, especially as they hadn't had much time together as a team.
"We tried hard by we ran short on players due to injury. Some of our players are playing together for the first time.
"Good effort from them (England)."
Scorers
Australia 77 – Lauren Jackson 21, Belinda Snell 10, Katrina Hibbert 6, Tully Bevilaqua.
New Zealand 39 – Donna Loffhagen 8, Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe 7.
From Mike Perez, PA Sport, Melbourne