BASKETBALL: The Australian women’s basketball team has a proud history in Olympic quarter finals, and the 2016 squad will be looking to add to that legacy when it faces Serbia on Tuesday at 11am (midnight AET).
In six previous Olympic Games Australia has faced a game where a win would see the team advance to the final four. And on each occasion the Aussies have emerged victorious.
Australia has finished on the medal podium in each of the past five Olympic Games (and finished fourth in 1988), and on the three previous occasions the team has gone through the group stage it has advanced to the gold medal play off (2000, 2004 and 2008).
But Serbia is a strong opponent despite finishing fourth in its group. The Serbs bring winning form to the contest, having defeated China and Senegal in its final two group games.
“We’ve finished first and put ourselves in the best position possible to play against the fourth placed team and if we go out and do what we’ve got to do we’ll be OK,” coach Brendan Joyce said.
“We know Serbia is a good team but we’ve done the work to be where we are so if we out with a focus and high effort levels we’ll be OK and then we’ll move on to the next opponent.”
Australia prevailed in all five group games, but in four of those were forced to come from behind in the second half. But Joyce is happy with what he sees from his squad.
“I think we’re getting better each game,” Joyce said.
“I just feel we’ve getting better and more cohesive each game we play.”
Liz Cambage has been a dominant force throughout the tournament, leading all scorers by averaging 22.4 points per game while shooting at 55% from the field. Cambage also ranks second in rebounding with 10.2 per game, marking her as the top performer through the group stages.
Forward Penny Taylor is 10th in the tournament in scoring at 15.7 ppg and the captain is now only 27 points away from registering 300 points in her Olympic career.
An Australian victory will send them to the semi-final round and a match up with either Spain or Turkey on Day 13 (August 18).
Kevin Diggerson
olympics.com.au
