Aug. 27, 2004
ATHENS, Greece – With a 64-60 win over Russia, USC graduate and Hartsville, S.C., resident Shannon Johnson will play with the USA in its third straight gold medal in women’s basketball on Saturday.
If the USA were to win it would be USA’s first gold medal in a women’s team sport with shortstop Adam Everett aiding the USA’s cause in its own gold medal in baseball in 2000. It would be at least the second gold medal of these games by a USC female graduate as Tonique Williams-Darling won the 400m earlier this week.
The gold medal game is slated for 4:15 pm local time and will feature the USA vs. the winner of the semi-final game between Brazil and Australia.
Johnson, the hero of Wednesday’s quarter-final win over host country Greece, scored four points in almost 20 minutes of play in the semi-final win over Russia. Johnson also added three steals, two rebounds and an assist.
With aggressive defense to spare all game, USA led Russia for all but two possessions, but could not breathe easy until veteran forward Sheryl SWOOPES nailed clutch, back-to-back jump shots with less than four minutes left.
Russia was just two points behind, 60-58, when SWOOPES beat the shot clock with her first jumper. Next, she stopped and popped from the baseline to make it 64-58.
Tina THOMPSON led USA with 14 points, including five in the last quarter. Tamika CATCHINGS and Lisa LESLIE added 11 each and Yolanda GRIFFITH 10 for the winners.
Tatiana SHCHEGOLEVA paced Russia with 13 points, while 2.14-meter Maria STEPANOVA had 11, Ilona KORSTIN and Elena BARANOVA 10 each.
Russia was resilient early to what would prove to be game-long defensive pressure by USA. The Russians found enough baskets inside to tie at 12-12 before the first three-point shot of the game, by BARANOVA, supplied a 15-14 lead. LESLIE had scored six points already. Diana TAURASI came off the bench for a jump shot to give USA a 16-15 edge after 10 minutes.
Although SHSHETGOLEVA put Russia ahead briefly, USA reeled off a 10-2 run bracketed by 3-pointers from THOMPSON and CATCHINGS to lead 26-19. That advantage would eventually reach 34-26, but with BARANOVA dropping another triple and STEPANOVA the last shot of the half, Russia reduced the difference to 37-33.
USA bolted ahead again with two shots by LESLIE for a 45-37 advantage midway through the third quarter, but Anna ARKHIPOVA then hit a three-pointer to revive Russia. The next six points went Russia’s way, too, with STEPANOVA’s fifth of the quarter, a free throw, drawing her team within 45-44. Point guard Shannon JOHNSON ended that threat for the USA with consecutive one-on-one baskets that restored a 51-44 USA advantage after 30 minutes.
A basket-plus-foul by GRIFFITH and a triple from THOMPSON seemed to put USA in full control at 59-50 with 7:20 to play. Then Oxana RAKHMATULINA climbed off Russia’s bench and became the only player to score a basket over the next four minutes. RAKHMATULINA sandwiched two three-point shots around a shorter one to make it 60-58 with 4:23 left. That is when SWOOPES ended a USA drought with a jump shot on the 24th and final second of the shot clock. Her next shot and another by Thompson deflated Russia’s comeback hopes and kept USA’s gold hunt alive.
With the loss, Russia will play in the bronze medal game Saturday, 28 August against the loser between Brazil and Australia.
