Williams joins returning All-Americans Jordan Jones and Courtney Walker on the Aggies’ 2015-16 women’s basketball roster, who will begin their quest for an 11th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance in November. “You want to be one of the athletes standing on that podium”. Shona Thorburn asked reporters, her faced stretched in a wide smile.
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“Maccabi stands for excellence in sports”, said Tommy Bacher, Maccabi Canada’s president since 2010, “and we try to promote Jewish heritage and connection to our Jewish roots, and a love of Israel. We belted it”.
Led by Kia Nurse, who scored a game-high 33 points, the host nation won its first ever women’s basketball Pan Ams gold medal.
The US women had dominated worldwide competition over the past two decades, racking up five Olympic gold medal finishes and four world titles.
“Anything can happen, and you saw what happened”, said Canadian coach and former Toronto Blue Jays player Ernie Whitt.
After leading 23-13 in the first period, the United States were pegged back to 36-36 at the halfway point before their opponents ran riot in the third quarter, overpowering their rivals with a superb blend of stifling defensive and clinical attacking play. Canada, where games are called due to moose, and whose Little League bat racks are filled with hockey sticks, brooms and snow shovels. Her big-game poise showed, and she credited her athletic family: her brother Darnell is Edmonton Oilers prospect, her uncle is Donovan McNabb, her dad Richard played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and mom Cathy played basketball at McMaster University. “I hope this will be a good spring board to more success at my home Olympic Games next year”.
Nurse added five rebounds, three assists, a pair of steals and a block. Her find of Achonwa for a seemingly clinching jumper with just under two minutes left was another stroke of brilliance, not the least of which because it came after she checked back in following getting her head rocked in a heavy collision with Jefferson. It might have been an even tougher loss for USA forward Taya Reimer, who couldn’t have been happy seeing a UConn player beat her team.
On the other hand, some events have more tangible competitive meaning.
Make no mistake, win or lose, gold medal or none at all, the Pan Am Games tournament was merely the warm-up act for next month.
“The person and bowler I am today is a complete 540 – you know, a 180 with an extra spin – from who I was when on Junior Team U.S”, Bidwell said.
“When we go to Israel, we’re the guest”. “Not even close. It’s a whole different level for me there….” Canada later added a bronze in the clubs/hoops group competition. That looks scary.’ Well, I’ve trained my whole life to do this. Both Canada’s men’s and women’s hockey teams won the Gold Medal. The Canadian women’s previous best finish was silver in 1999 in Winnipeg. “(Analyzing) the depth of competition can be quite valuable for us, using it as a benchmark for where we stand heading into Rio”.
This is not the first time that the “Gold Digger” rapper has faced a petition of this kind.
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The men’s Pan Am tournament, meanwhile, tips off on Tuesday.
