Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2008-08-15 16:45:39

(BEIJING, August 15) — Russia pulled a reversal in the fourth quarter to beat Brazil 74-64 in a group A preliminary match on Friday, August 15.

Brazil came out strong, only one point behind midway through the opening quarter and outscored Russia 26-21 at the end of the ten minutes. Russia made a big effort to catch up and once equalized the score 31-31 in the second quarter, but Brazil successfully widened the gap to six points and ended the half 41-35.

Russia woke up a little in the third quarter, grabbing 19 points while Brazil got 15. This narrowed the deficit to two points, with Brazil leading 56-54. The fourth quarter saw Russia overcome Brazil’s tough defense and complete their reversal, leading 65-60 halfway and 74-64 at the end of the match.

“All of the games are tight, and this one was no different. (Adriana Pinto) caught fire at the end and made it difficult, but we found a way to win.” said Russian guard Becky Hammon.

Brazil’s Adriana Pinto was the game’s high scorer, netting 21 points and giving six assists. She made five of her seven three-pointer attempts, reaching a shooting percentage of 71%.

Russia’s Tatiana Shchegoleva made the biggest contribution for her team, with 14 points and six rebounds. Her teammates Hammon and Marina Karpunina scored 11 points apiece.