Aug. 17, 2005
IZMIR, Turkey – Notre Dame senior point guard Megan Duffy (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne HS) and her United States teammates will play for the gold medal at the 2005 World University Games after blasting Russia, 118-67 in a medal round semifinal contest on Wednesday afternoon in Izmir, Turkey. Team USA (6-0) advances to meet Serbia & Montenegro (6-0) in Friday’s title game at 5:15 p.m. local time (9:15 a.m. EST/CDT in South Bend). The Serbs earned their place in the championship game with a hard-fought 70-57 win over previously-unbeaten Australia on Wednesday. The gold medal game will be televised on a tape-delayed basis Sunday (Aug. 21) at 8 p.m. EST/CDT by Fox College Sports Pacific (Channels 264 and 415 on Comcast digital cable systems in the South Bend area).
Duffy, the U.S. co-captain, made her sixth start in as many games and scored three points, as the Americans substitutely freely after reeling off 20 unanswered points in the second quarter to break the game wide open. The 118 points marked the seventh-highest point total ever compiled by the United States at the World University Games, and the semifinal win over Russia was its fourth 50-point margin of victory at the tournament, the first time that has ever happened for the USA World University Games Team. Currently, the U.S. is averaging 100.8 points per game and is outscoring its opponents by 46.3 ppg., which is on pace to be the largest average margin of victory by an American squad in 14 appearances at the World University Games. The record is a 41.9 ppg. winning margin by the 1991 USA squad that went undefeated in eight games en route to the gold medal and was paced by future Olympians Dawn Staley and Lisa Leslie.
Against Russia, the United States used another balanced attack that saw five players score in double figures. LSU teammates Sylvia Fowles (25 points) and Seimone Augustus (18 points) led the American offensive attack, while Fowles and Liz Shimek (Michigan State) each grabbed a game-high seven rebounds to highlight a commanding 49-22 USA advantage on the boards. The U.S. also shot 56.8 percent from the floor (50-of-88) and now has posted a .566 field goal percentage through its first six games at the tournament.
The United States and Russia traded double-digit runs in the first quarter before a late free throw by American co-captain Cappie Pondexter (Rutgers) knotted the score at 26-26 to end the period. After taking a slim one-point lead early in the second quarter, Team USA got rolling in a hurry, as Augustus found Shimek for a jumper that ignited a 20-0 run and gave the red, white and blue a 50-30 lead with 26 seconds left in the half. The run was highlighted by a behind-the-back pass from Augustus to Fowles for an easy layup and saw six different Americans score. The Russians would never get closer than 17 points the rest of the way as the United States assured itself of a berth in the gold medal game.
— ND —
2005 USA World University Games Team Schedule/Results (Izmir, Turkey)
Aug. 10 Czech Republic W, 88-64 (Pool B play)
Aug. 11 South Africa W, 92-22 (Pool B play)
Aug. 12 China W, 107-54 (Pool B play)
Aug. 15 Poland W, 89-63 (Pool B play)
Aug. 16 Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) W, 109-57 (Quarterfinals)
Aug. 17 Russia W, 118-67 (Semifinals)
Aug. 19 Serbia & Montenegro 5:15 p.m. (Final)*
All times local and subject to change (NOTE: Turkey is eight hours ahead of South Bend’s current EST/CDT time zone)
* — will be televised Aug. 21 (8 p.m. EST/CDT) on Fox College Sports Pacific (Comcast digital channels 264 and 415 in South Bend)