USA vs. Canada Women's Olympic Basketball: Live Score, Stats & Recap
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The Team USA women's basketball team continued its London Olympic dominance against Canada in the first game of elimination play Tuesday, beating an overwhelmed Canadian squad 91-48 victory.
The United States defense suffocated Canada's Princeton offense, forcing 22 total turnovers while using those turnovers to create points in the open court.
If there's any critique for Team USA coming out of the game, it's that they did not shoot the ball well from the outside. The U.S. went just 2-for-9 from beyond the three-point arc and shot just 47.3 percent overall from the field. For a team that came in shooting 55.0 percent, this game represents a reversion to the mean.
Leading the way for Team USA was Diana Taurasi who dropped 15 points while three players tied for the rebounding lead with seven.
The result was barely in doubt as Canada shoot just 30.2 percent from the field and often struggled to get shots up, period.
For the Canadians, simply getting into the elimination round should be seen as a success, though. They were the youngest team in London and were making their first appearance since the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney.
Up next for Team USA is a likely matchup against Australia, a team which many feel is the United States' biggest threat.
But if the American defense is as strong against the Aussies as it was against Canada, there seems to be little chance for Team USA's 39-game Olympic winning streak to fall.
The game has finally come to a close with Team USA defeating Canada 91-48 as the U.S. suffocates the overwhelmed Canadians defensively and ratchets up their offense for a 49-point second half.
Hope you all enjoyed following along. Up next for Team USA is the winner of the Australia-China matchup.
Final minute and a half here in London. Team USA leads 89-45 after Kim Smith drains a three-pointer to regain the Canadian scoring lead.
Canada commits the team's 20th turnover on yet another shot clock violation.
The United States leads 85-40 with 3:41 remaining in the fourth quarter.
I think we've heard about Team USA's 20-year winning streak about 350 times so far. In case you didn't know, the women haven't fallen in Olympic play since 1992, spawning 39 contests (including today).
Beautiful alley-oop catch and finish by Maya Moore off a no-look pass from Lindsay Whalen.
Sylvia Fowles looking great in the fourth quarter coming off an injury to her ankle.
Team USA leads 77-40 with 7:21 left in the game.
Shelden Williams tells Craig Sager he and wife Candace Parker have never played one-on-one. Probably a good thing for him.
Kim Smith starts the fourth quarter with five straight points for Canada. Too little too late, though for the Canadian leading scorer.
The U.S. leads 69-36 through a minute and a half of the final quarter.
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Angel McCoughtry drains a two-point jumper as time expires to end quarter as Team USA enters the fourth quarter with a 68-31 lead.
Diana Taurasi led the way for Team USA's onslaught to start the second half with eight points, as the U.S. wins quarter three 26-10.
Team USA on a big run right now, leads the third period 21-7 with just under a minute and a half to go.
United States leads Canada 63-28.
Team USA men's team on hand to watch the women. LeBron James, sporting huge horn-rimmed glasses, has obviously been taking fashion advice from Olympic teammate Russell Westbrook.
Auriemma makes a great point in pre-taped NBC interview: "Basketball is the only sport where women are constantly compared to men."
Taurasi with a beautiful pass to Parker off a strong pick-and-roll for an easy layup.
Team USA leads 55-28 with 3:53 remaining in the third quarter.
Canadians obviously have been playing a lot of Madden football in their pre-game as Angel McCoughtry gets trucked out of bounds.
Catchings drains one of two free throws at the line to give Team USA a 50-26 lead over Canada with 5:56 to go in the third quarter.
Team USA is still trying to "struggle" their way to a 30-plus point victory here.
Canada still sticking with the Princeton offense. Because that's EXACTLY what you want to do when you were doubled up in the first half.
And our second half is underway...
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Stat Leaders of the First Half:
Canada
Points: Kim Smith (5)
Rebounds: Krista Phillips (5)
Assists: Three-Way Tie (1)
United States
Points: Candace Parker (10)
Rebounds: Parker (6)
Assists: Sue Bird (5)
A left-handed runner by Canada's Shona Thorburn at the buzzer gives the Canadians the last basket of the first half.
Canada shoots just 22.2 percent in the first half and trails Team USA 42-21 as the teams head into the locker room.
On queue, Parker knocks down three straight buckets for Team USA as Sue Bird continues deftly running the offense.
Parker is 5-for-5 so far for 10 points and six rebounds so far.
For the record: Candace Parker is back in the game and seems to be moving just fine. Looks like your everyday rolled ankle for the Team USA center.
More Team USA greatness in the open-court. Sue Bird with a Chris Paul-like pass to Seimone Augustus for an easy layup.
Team USA leads 33-16 with a little less than three minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Kim Smith finally gets back on the board with a three-pointer. Canada needs her to start dropping buckets to get back into this game.
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Timeout by Canada with 4:06 remaining in the first half. Team USA leads 29-13 and is holding the Canadians to an abysmal 18.2 percent shooting so far.
Sue Bird with a beautiful left-handed layup off a strong dribble drive.
Team USA still only has 27 points halfway through the second quarter, though.
Slow-down game playing into Canada's hands, but they cannot get on the scoreboard.
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