Sanders comes close to single game scoring record

RIO DE JANEIRO (Rio 2016 Olympics Games) - Lara Sanders finished three points shy of tying an Olympics record as Turkey beat Japan 76-62 in Tuesday’s Group A action.

The 1.93m center was 14 for 18 from the field en route to a Rio Olympics-high 36 points, but the Olympics record for most points scored in a single game remains in the power of former Bulgaria international Evladiya Slavcheva Slavtcheva.

As Bulgaria took on Korea in the Preliminary Round of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Slavtcheva finished with the record setting 39 points, in the process, Bulgaria beat the hosts 98-87.

Sanders,  however, wasn't bothered, all she wants is to keep Turkey in contention for a spot in the Quarter-Finals.

“I am happy that we finally got a win,” she told FIBA.com. “Our first two games were against great teams France and Australia, and it’s nice to finally have my Olympics win.”

Turkey opened their Group A campaign with two defeats, and they couldn’t afford another defeat.

Sanders stepped on the floor in a desperation mood, they beat Japan, and the result is what she calls a resurgence of their Rio Olympics aspirations.

“We knew that this game was kind of a do-or-die game, and if we would have lost we might not make it out of the pool play, but now we are still alive.

“We just wanted to continue the way we were playing against Australia. We played with no fear, we played hard, we played tough. We just wanted to carry that into today (Tuesday).”

Asked about the prospect of going up against hosts Brazil and Belarus, Sanders was straightforward.

“We are still alive. It’s not fun when you are playing just to play. We still have something to play for, and we are trying to make it out of the pool play. We still have the same mindset. Once you are out of the pool play, everybody is recorded at 0-0.”

FIBA