USA National Team, Goestenkors stand 2-0 at FIBA Americas tourney in pursuit of 2008 Olympic berth
VALDIVIA, Chile -- The USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team improved to 2-0 Thursday at the FIBA Americas Championship with an easy 115-47 win over Jamaica. The win clinched a tournament semifinal berth for the USA, which has Texas women's basketball head coach Gail Goestenkors on the sidelines as an assistant coach. Gaining a semifinal berth was crucial after two games, and moves Team USA closer to its pursuit of qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. There is only one bid coming from the FIBA Americas zone to the 2008 Olympics. Goestenkors served as an Olympic assistant coach at the 2004 Athens Games, helping lead Team USA to the gold medal, the third consecutive for the USA program. The USA had opened play Wednesday with a close 85-79 win over Cuba, who along with the USA, is a favorite to earn the gold medal at the FIBAS tourney. The tourney continues Friday, Sept. 28, with the USA closing out preliminary round play, facing Canada (1-1) in a 3 p.m. (CDT) game that will be televised live by NBA TV. Canada lost to Cuba on Thursday, 75-52. The semifinals are slated for Saturday, Sept. 29, with the finals to follow Sunday. The USA women had all 12 players score at least four points, with Seimone Augustus netting a game-high 19 points. Tina Thompson added 18 points, Diana Taurasi had 12, and Kara Lawson contributed 11 points and a team-best seven rebounds in the lopsided victory.
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