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One game away U.S. women top S. Korea 78-65 in semifinal
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- What happened to the U.S. women's basketball team against South Korea was scary enough. What happened to Sheryl Swoopes was absolutely frightening. The United States survived South Korea's outside shooting blitz, then breathed a sigh of relief when Swoopes turned out to be OK after the Americans finally asserted themselves against their fesity opponent and pulled away to a 78-65 victory Friday. The win kept the United States perfect in these games and set up the showdown that had been expected all along: a gold medal match with Australia, the local favorite, the team defending its home ground. Australia, which beat Brazil 64-52, and the United States were the two favorites going in. Now they'll find out which is the best. "This will be women's basketball played at the highest level on the biggest stage you can play on," U.S. coach Nell Fortner said. "It will be fast-paced, physical, everything you could want." Added Lisa Leslie: "This is what we've been waiting for. It's like Magic and Bird in their backyard." The good news for the United States is that Swoopes, who led the team with 19 points Friday, will be available. But you could almost hear everyone gasp when, with the game well in hand, Swoopes made the last of her five steals, drove for a layup and began hopping on one leg after she landed.
"When you see a player of that quality go down, it's frightening," DeLisha Milton said. "I know the people back in Houston were just biting their nails for a second." So were Swoopes' U.S. teammates, who already had been given enough of a scare by South Korea's frenetic offense of passes, picks, head-long drives to the basket and 3-point shooting. The United States shot 71 percent in the first half -- that's right, 71 percent -- and led just 44-42. Why? South Korea was 8-for-15 on 3-pointers, that's why. But South Korea was just 1 for 6 from behind the arc in the second half and Natalie Williams' strong inside play helped turn the game around. "We knew they were getting their 3s because they were penetrating hard, we would suck in and help and they'd kick it out and get uncontested shots," DeLisha Milton said. "So in the second half we said, OK, if they penetrate, make them take the shot so they couldn't kick it out. We just made that adjustment and it worked." With the South Korean offense under control, the United States finally got control of the game. It was 48-46 early in the second half when Williams, one of the last two players cut from the U.S. Olympic volleyball team in 1996, went to work. First she made two free throws, then a jumper from just inside the free-throw line. She followed that with a putback and the United States was starting to pull away. After a South Korean basket, the United States went on a 12-2 run to put it away. Williams scored the final two baskets in that burst, which made it 66-50 with 9:42 left. "I felt the team needed some sort of push so I went to the boards, which I love to do," Williams said. "And they gave me some open jumpers." The United States went on to lead by as many as 19, though Swoopes going down and a technical foul on Fortner spiced things up at the end. Fortner was given the T for arguing a call at mid-court in the final minute. Shortly thereafter, she was celebrating her 100th victory as the national team coach. No other coach in USA Basketball history has won more. Leslie added 15 points for the United States and became the nation's career scoring leader in the Olympics. She now has 267 points and passed Katrina McClain, who scored 258 in the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Summer Games. Williams finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Yolanda Griffith also scored 10. The United States started strongly, jumping to a 6-0 lead as South Korea missed its first seven shots. When the Koreans began finding the range, it became a game. First they hit four 3-pointers in building a 14-11 lead. When the United States got those shots covered, Chun Joo-weon scored on two straight drives and the lead grew to 19-13. Thanks to Swoopes, it got no bigger. During the next 7 1/2 minutes, Swoopes hit a jump shot on the run, sank a 3-pointer, made two layups after picking off passes and got another layup on a fast break. With 3:17 left in the half, the United States led 39-29. A blowout on the way? Hardly. South Korea ended the half by making two tough shots. Park Jung-eun swished a 3-pointer over 6-foot-7 Kara Wolters and, with the shot clock about to expire and Katie Smith playing good defense, Jung Sun-min threw in a fadeaway to leave the South Koreans trailing by just two at the half. Then came the second half turnaround and now, a chance for gold. "This team has been great at making adjustments," Fortner said. "They did today and they will have to tomorrow. I trust them that they'll do what I ask them to do."
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