Spain’s Anna Cruz, center, celebrates her winning shot over Turkey with teammates in a women’s quarterfinal round basketball game at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016.
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Down two with 23 seconds left, Turkey made a bold decision to defend the ball and trap rather than put Spain at the free throw line. The Spanish were impressive in group play, only dropping one game-to the juggernaut that is the United States Women’s National Team. “This team believes. So it’s something fantastic for us”.
Officials immediately ruled the basket good, though the play was reviewed.
“I was lucky that it got in”, Cruz said. “Sometimes the ball goes in, other times it doesn’t”.
Spain trailed 60-52 with 3:45 remaining, but rattled off an 8-0 run in ensuing two minutes and 35 seconds to even the score.
But the third-ranked Spaniards rallied behind Cruz who scored eight of her team’s final 14 points, including the last four to keep them in the medal hunt.
The game appeared headed for overtime when Lara Sanders’ layup tied it at 60 with 4 seconds left.
The 29-year-old Cruz – a point guard who played last season with the WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx, and whose nifty behind-the-back dribble and stepback jumper had given Spain the lead with 36 seconds remaining – took the inbounds pass and sprinted up the floor, crossing half-court with just over two seconds remaining.
Spain will now meet Serbia on Thursday for a place in the gold medal final. She teamed with captain Nevriye Yilmaz (13 points, though none came after halftime) to carry the offensive load and get Turkey within striking distance of the victory in the closing minutes.
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“You can’t be nothing but disappointed”, said Sanders.
