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The Opals have produced their most spectacular efficiency of the Ladies’s Basketball World Cup, defeating Serbia 69-54 in Sydney.
Key factors:
- Bec Allen leads the Opals’ scoring however is pressured to go away the sport within the last time period
- The Opals have a 2-1 win-loss file after three video games
- They subsequent face Canada on Monday
However the victory could have come at a value with paramedics attending to Bec Allen after she was assisted from the court docket whereas struggling to breathe within the last minutes.
Allen first left the court docket with an ankle damage within the last quarter however wanted to be assisted off once more simply minutes later when she reeled out of a contest for the ball, clutching her facet.
Allen led all scorers for the Opals with 16 factors and was amongst their finest gamers of their 70-57 loss to France on the opening night time of the event.
The Opals and Serbia have developed an unlikely rivalry lately.
Serbia denied the Opals a shot at a sixth straight Olympic medal with a quarterfinal win on the Rio Video games.
Additionally they defeated the Opals on the street to the World Cup after Australia’s Steph Talbot was ejected for elbowing Jovona Nogic.
There was loads of feeling in Sunday’s rematch, not least when guard Sami Whitcomb copped an arm to the face within the third quarter and left the court docket claiming her nostril had been damaged.
The Opals had been decided to get the wooden over their rivals this time, lest they slip behind within the race to advance from the aggressive Group B.
The Opals’ early dominance got here right down to bodily defence because the host nation pressured Serbia into 5 shot-clock violations within the first quarter and stored them to 10 factors.
Serbia started to struggle again within the second quarter when Yvonne Anderson had her minutes elevated and completed the half with 14 factors.
Fittingly, Talbot performed a big position within the Australian atonement, limiting Anderson to 2 second-half factors when she was despatched to mark her opponent.
With the ball, Talbot hit a three-pointer within the second quarter to offer the Opals what was then a game-high lead and she or he completed with 10 factors.
Serbia discovered one other strike weapon in Sasa Cado (12 factors) however the Opals had their very own avenues to basket in Allen, Marianna Tolo and Whitcomb, who hit a three-pointer lower than 30 seconds after coming again on from her hit to the nostril.
The Opals now have a 2-1 win-loss file.
They’re all however sure to dodge a quarterfinal assembly with the US in the event that they win their last two group video games towards Canada and Japan.
The Opals’ first win of the event was a 118-58 triumph over Mali of their second sport.
AAP
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