In five preliminary games, the United States women didn’t win any games by fewer than 25 points, while Canada played five single-digit affairs. One appears to be holding true in the knockout stages of the tournament, as the United States is doubling up Canada, 42-21, at the break.
Women’s Basketball: USA Doubling Up Canada In Quarterfinals At Half
America’s defense has been dominant, as the Canadian Princeton Offense isn’t having its desired effect: America’s northern neighbors are shooting 22 percent from the field while living up to their status as the tournament leaders in turnovers with 12 in the first half. Canadian possessions have typically ended in 24-second violations, forced shots towards the end of the shot clock or, as in the few cases, a backdoor cut has earned Canada a run at the hoop that was contested, sometimes by blocked looks.
The early play was decently ugly: The United States started 1-for-7 from the field while Canada was 1-for-6, so Canada hung around for a few minutes. But eventually American shots started falling, and the Canadians continued shooting at a poor clip, allowing the United States to lead 19-8 after the first quarter. They continued on that level of play in the second quarter. Candace Parker leads the American squad with 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting.
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