Courtney Ryan paced the United States to a comfortable first half lead against a taller athletic China team. She scored the team’s last eight points of the first quarter and first four points of the second quarter. This scoring combined with strong half-court defense, stifled the Chinese women, holding them to just seven points in the first half (21-7).
Coach Johnson thought Ryan’s first half was
impactful.“Courtney set the pace for us in the first half, not only with her shot but the energy she brought on the court defensively,” he said.
Basketball fans know the game is defined by the runs and adjustments that are made throughout. Unfortunately for the Americans, China turned the tide on them and disrupted their flow.
“They started running double screens for their shooters, which we knew would be tough to defend. Their size allowed them to make easy skip passes from wing to wing. They also began applying more pressure defensively,” said Johnson.
Darlene Hunter, Co-Captain of this young squad, did her best to maintain the lead, scoring four points as the team struggled to manufacture points in the third quarter. Hunter acknowledged the growth of the Chinese program.
“They’ve come a long way as a program. They have excellent shooters, are very methodical team that doesn’t get rattled very easily,” she said.
China put their poise on display in the fourth quarter. While down two, Jaimeng Dai caught a pass on the left wing with the shot clock about to expire. Unable to square her chair or shoulders, she put up a crossbody shot that went in as the buzzer sounded. For the remaining six minutes of the game, four other Chinese athletes contributed on offense scoring from the field and the free throw line.
Lindsey Zurbrugg was red hot when her squad needed her most. She scored 11 of her 15 points in the last five minutes of the game (13 in the quarter) trying to lead her team to a victory. Unfortunately for the Americans, three costly turnovers as a result of China’s pressure defense impeded their path to victory.
Hunter shared her confidence in the team to continue to pursue gold despite the loss.
“We started out awesome, so I have no worries in our strategy and what we are doing. Trooper (Coach) is leading us really well. Our performance still allows us to pursue a gold, this is just a different path. We’re gonna keep encouraging each other, go to our practice and get our rhythm and confidence back," she said.
The women will wrap up pool play with a game against Algeria on August 29 at 1:45am Mountain Time.
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