In their first game of the tournament, the USA got off to the perfect start, establishing a 14-7 lead in the late stages of the first quarter and extending the lead at each interval before eventually finishing 16-point victors.
Cobi Crispin scored seven of her 11 points in the opening quarter, while Amber Merritt had 10 points in the second quarter on her way to a team-high 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
It was the USA fastest out of the blocks as they established a 14-9 quarter time lead. Crispin was keeping the Gliders in the contest, scoring the first seven points for the team as they looked to stay within touching distance.
The second quarter saw Merritt take up the scoring load, posting 10 points on 3-of-3 from the field to keep the Gliders in the contest at half time, trailing 36-27.
Scoring came at a premium after the main break, with the Gliders unable to close the gap on their opponents, despite 11 second-half points from Leanne Del Toso.
The Gliders made a late charge in the final quarter, closing the margin to just six points with less than five minutes remaining, but the Americans settled late to take the win.
Next up for the Australian Gliders is Peru on Sunday at 8:00am AEST, with fans able to watch the game LIVE online at http://2014wheelchairbasketball.com/connect/watch-the-games-live.
For the latest information on the 2014 IWBF Women’s World Wheelchair Basketball Championships visit the official tournament website at http://2014wheelchairbasketball.com/.
Australian Gliders Preliminary Round Fixture
Australian Gliders v Peru
Sunday 22 June @ 8:00am
Australian Gliders v France
Monday 23 June @ 12:00am
Australian Gliders v Mexico
Tuesday 24 June @ 5:00am
Australian Gliders v Netherlands
Wednesday 25 June @ 10:00am
*All games will be streamed LIVE at the official tournament website:http://2014wheelchairbasketball.com/connect/watch-the-games-live.
Originally posted on Basketball Australia
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