Newcomers Serbia stunned the hoops world after eliminating world no. 2 Australia in the quarter-finals of the 2016 Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Anna Cruz delivered a buzzer-beater to carry Spain to the semi-finals, while the United States and France took the last two spots.
Here's a round-up of all four games in the tournament's quarter-finals.
SERBIA 73, AUSTRALIA 71
Olympic first-timers Serbia stunned the women's basketball world after opening the quarter-finals with a massive upset of world no. 2 Australia, a team which had been poised to give the United States a brave challenge for the gold medal and a team which entered the knockout rounds undefeated.
Ana Dabovic exploded for the EuroBasket winners, scoring 24 points while also finishing with three assists and three steals to lift the Serbs to the semi-finals. Jelena Milovanovic added 17 points on 5-for-12 shooting while Sonja Petrovic bucked an injury scare to wound up with 13 points, four rebounds, and five assists.
Serbia fought toe to toe against Australia despite a disadvantage in size, forcing Opals' center Liz Cambage to foul trouble in the first quarter.
The Opals only managed to take a 37-35 lead into the halftime break, and their worries compounded after Cambage picked up her third personal foul just a few minutes after the third quarter began.
But Leilani Mitchell gave Australia more separation after scoring eight straight points capped by back to back triples. Australia took a 48-39 lead, but the determined Serbian side just kept fighting back, closing the gap to 52-51 entering the final period.
Cambage wreaked havoc immediately after returning to the game in the fourth quarter, scoring the first points for Australia in the period.
Petrovic and Milovanovic scored four straight to hand Serbia a 70-67 lead. Cambage replied with a bucket underneath but Dabovic drained a jumper to push the advantage up to 72-69. Cambage once again scored, before Dabovic got fouled with 10 seconds left. Dabovic split her charities, leaving the door open for the Opals but Mitchell's heave was way off the mark even as Marianna Tolo's put back try at the buzzer failed to hit the mark.
The Serbs gathered at centercourt to celebrate the milestone, while the Australians, including Penny Taylor who just announced a few weeks ago she will be retiring later this year, were left shocked and in disbelief.
Serbia forced 26 turnovers from Australia, including 16 from steals, and scored 27 points off those.
Cambage had 29 points on 11-for-15 shooting and 11 boards for the Opals. Rachel Jarry contributed 14 points including 3-for-5 from long range. Mitchell and Erin Phillips each had 10 points.
Taylor exited her final Olympics in a disappointing way, finishing with only two points as she missed all of her seven field goal tries although she did have nine assists.
It will be the first time since 1992 that Australia will not finish with an Olympic medal.
SPAIN 64, TURKEY 62
Anna Cruz sank an off-balanced running jumper at the buzzer to cap a sensational comeback for Spain and carry the team to the semi-finals of the games.
Turkey had taken a 60-52 lead with just under four minutes left in the game, as it appeared the team was on its way to the last four of the tournament.
But Cruz and Laura Nicholls combined to score the next 10 unanswered points for Spain as the team took a 62-60 lead under the final minute.
Isil Alben then missed a three on the other end, but a bad pass by Alba Torrens led to a steal and basket by Lara Sanders which tied the score at 62 apiece. However, it set up Cruz's amazing buzzer-beater from the left elbow to lift Spain.
— Alex Rosenbloom (@Rosenbloom) August 16, 2016
Cruz finished with 14 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, and six assists. Nicholls added 12 points and 10 rebounds while Silvia Dominguez and Astou Ndour each scored 10 points.
Sanders led Turkey with 22 points including a perfect 12-for-12 from the line and 10 rebounds. Nevriye Yilmaz added 13 points. Alben had nine points, five rebounds, and six assists.
UNITED STATES 110, JAPAN 64
Seven players scored in double-digits as the United States moved to just two wins away from another Olympic gold medal.
Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore each scored 19 points to lead the reigning gold medal winners. Moore shot 7-for-9 from the field and also had three rebounds and three assists. Taurasi made 5-for-8 from three-point area.
Angel McCoughtry came off the bench to score 13 points while Elena Delle Donne added 11 points. Three more scored 10 points.
Japan made it a competitive fight, trailing by just 10 at the half and even pulling within 56-50 after back to back baskets by Sanae Motokawa.
But a 14-1 run from USA including 10 from Moore and Taurasi broke the game wide open. USA then outscored Japan, 29-5 in the fourth quarter to cap the blowout win.
USA shot 65.3 percent from the field and 11-for-18 from three-point area. The team had a 50-26 lead in rebounding and assisted 28 field goal makes compared to just 17 for Japan. USA also had a 50-24 advantage in points in the paint.
Ramu Tokashiki topscored for the Asian champions with 14 points. Motokawa and Mika Kurihara each added 12 points, with the latter shooting 4-for-7 from long range.
FRANCE 68, CANADA 63
France, silver medalists of the 2012 London Olympics, fought back from an early deficit to edge out Canada and return to the semi-finals of the games.
Canada had taken a comfortable lead after the first period but France went on to outscore its opponent over the next three quarters to come up with a close win.
Miah-Marie Langlois and Kim Gaucher hit triples to break a 7-all tie in the first quarter and give Canada some separation. The FIBA Americas winners took a 25-16 lead after the first quarter.
But France was able to tie the game entering the final quarter, before an 8-0 run capped by four straight points from Marine Johannes made it 58-52 for France.
Later, a three by Gaucher and a three-point play conversion by Kia Nurse pulled Canada within 60-58. Both teams struggled from the field over the next four minutes, before free throws by Olivia Epoupa made it 62-59 for France.
Nurse missed in the next possession, leading to another basket from France by Gaelle Skrela, 64-59. Nirra Fields answered but committed an unsportsmanlike foul, leading to more free throws by Epoupa. Nurse cut the deficit down to 66-63 with 15 seconds left, but Skrela and Epoupa iced the win.
Sandrine Gruda led the European side with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Val Ayayi added 12 points, while Epoupa finished with 10 points, five boards, and six assists.
Gaucher had 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting for Canada. Nurse added 11 points, but was only 3-for-17 from the field. Langlois and Tamara Tatham had 10 point apiece.
SEMI-FINALS SCHEDULE (AUGUST 18):
Spain vs Serbia
France vs United States
All photos from FIBA.com
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