BASKETBALL: USA Basketball National Team Edges Perfumerias Avenida 69-66 In Overtime

http://www.usabasketball.com -- Seimone Agustus Leads All Scorers With 17 Points -- SALAMANCA, Spain (March 20, 2008) -- Trailing by 10 points with 13 minutes remaining in regulation, the 2007-08 USA Basketball Women's National Team fought back and secured a 69-66 overtime victory over Perfumerias Avenida in Salamanca, Spain, on Thursday afternoon. Leading the way for the USA was Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), who had nine of her game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter. USA veteran Katie Smith (Detroit Shock) came up with 11 points and a game-high eight rebounds, while Cappie Pondexter (Phoenix Mercury) and Lindsay Whalen (Connecticut Sun) each came up with 10 points. The USA capped its Spain training camp with a 2-0 slate, upping the 2007-08 USA squad's overall record to 21-0."Experience really comes through in the clutch,"said 2008 U.S. Olympic Team head coach Anne Donovan."Seimone's experience, not just with our national team, but with playing overseas, really knows how to get it done when we needed a bucket. I thought we had some good execution down the stretch that gave us some good open looks and players knocked shots down."(Perfumerias Avenida) rebounded the ball really well, which put us in difficult positions defensively, but their offensive boards was the difference early in the game,"said."We've been together for less than a week and these two teams have been together all season and are the top two teams in Spain. We didn't come in here thinking we were not going to get tested. That's why we came to Spain, to get good competition."The first half was evenly matched with the USA owning a 12-11 lead after the first quarter and Spanish club owning a 29-28 edge at the half. Perfumerias Avenida entered the second half on fire and held the U.S. to two field goals during a 13-4 run, jumping out to a stunning 42-32 lead. With 2:53 remaining in the quarter Katie Douglas (Indiana Fever), who scored eight points this afternoon, took an outside feed from Whalen to help kick-start the USA's comeback. Following a free throw from their opponents, the American women scored a 6-1 run, a pair of free throws and a put back coming from Whalen, to pull to 44-41 with less than a minute remaining in the period. However, the hosts knocked down a pair of shots, one at the buzzer, to go up by seven points, 48-41, heading into the fourth quarter. Augustus scored the first seven points in a USA 11-2 run that put the red, white and blue back on top, 52-50 at 4:50, for the first time in the second half. The score see-sawed from there and with the U.S. trailing by a point Smith took a pass from Whalen beyond the arc and her 3-point attempt swished in with 50 seconds left on the clock and the U.S. up 60-58."I think my teammates got me in a good position to make the shots,"said Augustus."It's a matter of mental toughness, being able to go out there and help your team. We were down seven points so it was a much-needed spark. I just wanted to be more aggressive. That's what we talked about. We were a little lax and letting them set the tempo so I came out being aggressive and happened to hit a couple of shots that we needed down the stretch. Tracy Reid secured an offensive rebound on the other end and knotted the contest at 60-60 with 28.6 showing in the game. Smith attempted another long ball that hit the rim and Reid secured the rebound with mere seconds showing but didn't have enough time remaining to secure the contest. It was the hosts ball to start overtime, but Augustus ripped the ball away and Smith converted the steal into two points. Reid countered with two of her own and the game was again even, 62-62 with 3:58 to go. With 2:03 on the clock Smith banked in a jump shot off an assist from Douglas. Reid attempted a shot on the other end, but Douglas was guarding her tight and the shot was off. Whalen snagged the board and the USA worked the ball around until Smith found Pondexter, whose shot rolled around the rim and dropped in to give the U.S. a four-point, 66-62, lead. Following a bucket by Perfumerias Avenida, Pondexter drove inside, kicked it outside to Douglas who nailed a three with under a minute to play and Anna Montanana answered at 40 seconds with the game's final points. The U.S. was unable to score and the Spanish side launched a 3-pointer that was off the mark, Reid grabbed the board but her attempt was also off the mark as time expired. In addition to her 17 points Augustus also contributed four rebounds, one assist, three blocked shots and four steals; while Smith and Whalen led the U.S. on the glass with eight rebounds apiece."It was a total team effort. (My teammates) didn't do what they always do in the WNBA. Your game changes out here with the USA and I think everyone adjusted well. Cappie (Pondexter) came in and played good minutes, set people up to get shots off. Katie Smith got a three off of one of Cappie's assists. Katie Douglas hit some good shots. Lindsay Whalen came in and got us in our offensive sets like we needed to be. Everybody else, Dee (DeLisha Milton-Jones), the veterans here were typical. They understand USA Basketball and they came out here and did what they were supposed to do."Former WNBA and University of North Carolina standout Reid was her team's leading scorer with 16 points, former George Washington player Montanana had 14 and Isabel Sanchez tossed in 11. Another version of the USA National Team will gather in Chicago for training April 13-15 before heading to Beijing to compete in the six-nation Olympic test event April 19-26. Janel McCarville (New York Liberty) returned to Slovakia on March 18 due to a prior commitment with her Slovakian professional team. Donovan is being assisted by Connecticut Sun head coach Mike Thibault.