Aug. 16, 2005
IZMIR, Turkey – Notre Dame senior point guard Megan Duffy (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne HS) scored four points and dished out a game-high four assists as the U.S. World University Games Team earned a spot in the medal round semifinals with a 109-57 rout of Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) on Tuesday afternoon in Izmir, Turkey. Team USA shot a blistering 61.3 percent (49-of-80) from the floor en route to its highest point total of the tournament and its third 50-point victory in five games. With the win, the Americans advance to take on unbeaten Russia in Wednesday’s first semifinal at 3 p.m. local time (7 a.m. EST/CDT in South Bend), with a berth in the gold medal game at stake. Serbia & Montenegro will face Australia in the other medal round semifinal on Wednesday.
For the second consecutive game, Duffy, the U.S. co-captain, earned game-high assist honors after distributing six assists in Monday’s preliminary-round finale against Poland. She was even sharper against Taiwan, as she did not turn the ball over once while making her fifth start in as many contests at the World University Games. Thus far, Duffy is averaging 7.2 points per game, while ranking second on the team with 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals per night. She also leads Team USA with a .412 three-point percentage (7-of-17) and owns a 1.88 assist/turnover ratio (15 assists, eight turnovers).
Against Taiwan, the United States took advantage of a 58-16 rebounding margin and a balanced attack that saw five players score in double figures. Narrowly missing double-doubles for the U.S. were Seimone Augustus (LSU), who had 10 points and nine rebounds, and Liz Shimek (Michigan State), who finished with nine points and 12 boards, including 10 in the first half.
Taiwan stayed with the U.S. to start the game, but the inside combination of Shimek and Sylvia Fowles (LSU) scored 14 of their team’s 23 first-quarter points to put the Americans in control from the start. Co-captain Cappie Pondexter (Rutgers) bumped the USA lead to double figures with a jumper just eight seconds into the second quarter, followed by a steal and layup for a 27-15 margin with 9:35 left in the first half. A 7-0 Taiwan run, including five points from Chun-Yi Liu, narrowed the American lead to five with 8:19 remaining in the second stanza, but baskets from Pondexter and Monique Currie (Duke) rebuilt a 31-22 U.S. lead.
With the margin still at nine, Jessica Davenport (Ohio State) hit four free throws and Augustus hit a breakaway layup with 1:27 remaining in the second frame for a 41-26 USA advantage. Taiwan cut the gap to 13 off a basket from Liu, but Duffy found Lisa Willis (UCLA) for a three-pointer and Fowles made a layup off a Willis assist with 17 seconds on the clock to end first half scoring with the Americans ahead, 46-28.
The U.S. opened the second half with three consecutive buckets for a 52-28 lead at the eight-minute mark of the third quarter. Taiwan traded baskets for the next minute, but a drive by Pondexter ignited a 12-1 run that boosted the U.S. lead to 66-35 and moved the Americans safely into the semifinals.
— 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 3:00 p.m. (Semifinals)
Aug. 19 Finals
All times local and subject to change (NOTE: Turkey is eight hours ahead of South Bend’s current EST/CDT time zone)