The Team USA Women had their first tough game at the World University Games as they held off a tough Poland team 75-67 in Belgrade, Serbia.
UConn Huskies senior center Tina Charles led the way with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Her UConn teammate Tiffany Hayes chipped in with 8 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.
Maya Moore didn’t play in the game and will miss the rest of the tournament with a sprained knee.
“It was nothing unsual, just something crazy,” Moore said. “I can’t even tell you what happened, but there were a couple of times during a few possesions that I began to feel something. There was no force involved; I didn’t come to a sudden stop during a fastbreak, but I immediately knew that I had better come out of the game and that it probably wasn’t smart that I try to get back in.
“We had some x-rays taken and now we’re in the process of figuring out what the best plan to rehab it will be, but for now the plan is to rest it for the remainder of the tournament. I’ll do what I have to do to get it better.’
Here is what Charles had to say after the win courtesy of USA Basketball:
What kind of team is Poland?
They’re really aggressive, their zone really worked. They executed well, they scouted well. They saw that if they played us man-to-man, they couldn’t guard us. So they kept their zone in and it really worked.Have you played against a zone like that the entire game before?
No, but it’s to be expected. With us being collegiate athletes and knowing little things like this, it’s expected.The USA shot 20-of-52 from 2-point today. Can you comment on that?
They had three people on us, four people on us, swarming us. They saw that the post players we have on this team really dominate, so they did what they had to do.Were you pleased with your team’s effort today?
Yes. We just stuck together. There were times when it could have been a closer game, but we just stuck together and didn’t let it get to us mentally. We stuck together and pulled it out.
Team USA is back in action on Tuesday when they will take on the Czech Republic.
USA Women Fight Off Poland, Remain Undefeated With 75-67 Win [USA Basketball]
Maya Moore will miss the remainder of World University Games [Hartford Courant]
