Opals Overcome Early Deficit
In a physical contest in Berlin on Sunday, Australia's Ezi Magbegor poured in 21 points to lead her team to an 87-71 victory over Turkey. The win was Australia's second in the group stage, guaranteeing them at least a playoff berth in the final phase of the Women's Basketball World Cup.[S1]
Turkey started strong, with Sevgi Uzun scoring 24 points, and even took a brief 15-14 lead after an early 8-0 deficit. However, Australia rallied to close the first quarter ahead 21-15 and never trailed again. Turkey's Goksen Fitik left the game in the third quarter with an apparent right-ankle injury but returned in the fourth.[S1]
Next Up: Belgium Showdown
Australia's next match is against European champion Belgium on Monday, a game likely to decide which team tops the group and advances directly to the quarterfinals. Belgium was playing Puerto Rico later on Sunday. The Australian squad includes seven World Cup debutants, and captain Sami Whitcomb of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury withdrew before the tournament due to a lingering knee injury.[S1]
Other Group Games
Later on Sunday, the United States faced Italy, aiming to extend their winning streak to 32 games. The U.S. has not lost at the World Cup since the 2006 semifinal. In another match, China, featuring 7-foot-3 Zhang Ziyu, played the Czech Republic, with both teams seeking their first win.[S1]
