Japan challenged U.S. in the second set, as Ishii and Nagaoka stepped up on their game, but Larson and Hill benefitted from Glass’ brilliant setting as they led the United States of America offence.
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As Japan won’t soon forget, though, there were still 20 more minutes to play.
“We’ve seen them on TV”, said USA outside hitter Kim Hill, apparently a night owl. A game that was close as halftime approached was completely turned around the final 90 seconds of the first half and the first five minutes of the second.
The team, filled with speedy shooters unafraid to drive into the lane, already has matched its three victories in 1996 in Atlanta for the most wins in any games. This will be very valuable for Japanese basketball from here on. They were unbelievable in the second half. She’d been the Americans’ best player on both ends through pool play.
Japan did well to stay with the Americans at 46-44 with two minutes to go in the opening half, but the USA finished with a 10-2 flurry to ease away. On the other side of the ball, the United States held Japan to just 18 second half points including a mere five points in the fourth quarter alone.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – The U.S. women’s volleyball team knows Japan so well that long points are a given. They are a good team. “When D [Taurasi] got the ball moving, everyone taking shots from all over the floor, that was pretty to watch”. But thinking about Brazil, expecting to play them, won’t bring them happiness, at least not in Kiraly’s expectations-free world.
United States’ Sue Bird (6) tries to block a shot by Japan’s Rui Machida (13) during a quarterfinal round basketball game at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016. A two-point lead grew into a 46-point win.
The U.S. had seven players in double figures, with Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore scoring 19 points each. Ramu Tokashiki led Japan with 14 points.
While Japan played the Americans tough in the first half, the end result was another blowout victory for the United States, although the 110-64 dismantling of the Japanese team may have come at a cost.
Now to wait and see if there’s reason to panic as it relates to Bird. “At that time we need someone to step up”, Kurihara said. In fact, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan of the men’s national team were caught in the stands doing just that with six minutes left.
Despite Team USA boasting the best frontcourt at Rio 2016 in Brittney Griner and Tina Charles in the starting lineup, the Japanese women came to attack with no fear.
“I think it’s just a matter of us wearing teams down”, Moore said. “And then when we do accomplish something that we do not expect, we can derive a lot more satisfaction and increase our overall level of satisfaction, not just in volleyball but in life”.
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“First of all we have tremendous respect for the Japanese program”, U.S. Olympic Women’s Team Head Coach Karch Kiraly said.
