Courtesy of USABasketball.com
TAIPEI, Taiwan — LSU senior guard Marie Ferdinand averaged 11.8 points per game and shot nearly 63 percent from the field as the United States’ team took home the gold medal at the 2000 Women’s R. William Jones Cup held in Taipei, Taiwan, with a 4-0 record.
The 2000 USA Basketball Women’s R. William Jones Cup Team, composed of top college players, cruised past its opponents in convincing style, rolling to a 4-0 record to claim the USA’s ninth gold medal in the tournament. The USA has now compiled an overall record of 144-22 (.838), and has claimed nine gold, four silver and four bronze medals in 19 Jones Cup competitions.
“It is exciting to finish 4-0. It has been a great experience from the first practice to the gold medal game,” said head coach Bonnie Henrickson (Virginia Tech). “This team was very unselfish and had great chemistry.”
The USA overpowered opponents by an average of 28.5 points a game, scoring 80.0 ppg., while limiting opponents to only 51.5 ppg. The USA also dominated on the glass, averaging 44.3 rpg., more than twice its opponents’ 16.5 rpg. Shooting 53.6 percent (134-250 FGs) from the field and 41.7 percent (10-24 3 pt FGs) from three-point range, the United States’ defense limited opponents to a mere 32.9 percent (75-228 FGs) from the field and 34.0 percent (32-94 3pt FGs) from beyond the arc.
Leading the scoring effort for the U.S. was 6-0 University of Connecticut guard Shea Ralph (Fayetteville, N.C.) with 12.0 ppg. Also Kelly Schumacher (Connecticut / Quyon, Canada) added 9.8 ppg. and Deanna Jackson (Alabama-Birmingham / Brewton, Ala.) helped the team with 9.5 ppg.
Led by the efforts of Cooper and Schumacher’s 7.3 rebounds per game apiece, the U.S. outrebounded opponents by a whopping margin of 27.8 rebounds a game. Sue Bird (Connecticut / Syosset, N.Y.) and Angela Zampella (St. Joseph’s / Hoboken, N.J.) led the squad in assists with 17 and 16 respectively. Ralph and Ferdinand both had a team-high seven steals and Schumacher blocked five shots over four games.
USA 83, Republic of China 53
The U.S. opened the tournament on July 16 defeating the host Republic of China team, 83-53. With a starting lineup that included Bird, Ferdinand, Wyckoff, Cooper and Schumacher, the USA received a balanced effort in scoring and on the boards. Ralph came off the bench to score 15 points in 15 minutes, while Wyckoff contributed 12, and Ferdinand and Jackson both added 11 points. Schumacher led the USA’s rebounding efforts, securing eight boards to go with her nine points, while Bird recorded a game-best seven assists along with her six points.
With the score standing 8-6 in favor of the United States and 15:39 remaining in the first half, the USA went on a 30-13 run with Ralph contributing nine points as the U.S. took command 38-19. The Republic of China national team trailed 42-21 at halftime, and despite a game-high 21 points from Hui-Yun Cheng never got any closer than a 20-point deficit as the USA sailed in for the 83-53 win.
USA 85, Korea 53
In game two on July 17, the U.S.shot 61.5 percent (32-52 FGs) from the field while holding Korea to only 34.0 percent (17-50 FGs) and the result was an 85-53 victory for the U.S. For the second straight game, four players scored in double figures, all coming off the bench. Stiles made 7-of-8 shots from the field and scored 14 points, Jackson hit 6- of-8 to score 12 points and grabbed five rebounds. Anderson scored 11 on 5-of-7 shooting and pulled down five boards in only 15 minutes, while Ralph added 10 points. The U.S. dominated the boards, outrebounding Korea, 38-11. Schumacher alone matched the Korean’s team effort, pulling down 11 rebounds to go with her five points.
The game remained close for the first six minutes before the U.S. went on 30-10 run and closed out the half ahead, 40-22. The USA came back in the second half in full command, never looking back as they cruised to the 85-53 win.
USA 83, Japan 80
In its’ toughest game of the tournament, the U.S. slipped past previously undefeated, hot three-point shooting Japan, 83-80, on July 19. Alone on top of the standings with a 3-0 record and one game remaining, the win assured the USA of the Jones Cup gold medal. The U.S. had no shots from three-point range, but the inside games of Schumacher, Wyckoff, Cooper and Michelle Snow (Tennessee / Pensacola, Fla.) more than made up for it, as they combined to score 51 points, while recording 28 rebounds and shooting 66.7 percent (24-36 FGs).
For the third consecutive game, four players scored in double figures. Schumacher had a game-high 24 points and nine rebounds, Ferdinand scored 18 and had four offensive boards, while Wyckoff had 12 points and Snow added 11 points in crunch time along with six rebounds. The team’s 18 offensive rebounds were crucial, giving the U.S. 20 second chance points. Cooper pulled down eight boards (three offensive) and Ralph led the team in assists with five.
Japan dominated early in the first half, building up an 18-point lead, 38-20 with 8:09 remaining in the first half. The USA chipped away at Japan’s advantage and trailed until the last three seconds of the half, finally going up 43-41 to close the half after a Schumacher putback. The game continued to seesaw back and forth in the second half and it was 58-all with 11:08 remaining. The USA opened their largest lead of the half, 80-70, with 2:10 remaining but Japan, after hitting a couple of three-pointers, closed the gap to 80-76. Ferdinand was fouled and missed her first free throw attempt, but made the second, then Japan scored on a layup to make it 81-78 with 43 seconds remaining. Schumacher came up with another big play, getting the rebound off a U.S. miss and scoring on the follow-up to put the U.S. up 83-78. Japan scored off a layup with seven seconds remaining, but the U.S. inbounded the ball and held on for the win, 83-80.
USA 79, Malaysia 24
Earning it’s fourth win in five days, the U.S. had an easy time in a 79-24 romp over Malaysia in its final game on July 20. Featuring a balanced scoring attack, four U.S. players came off the bench to score in double figures for the second game of the tournament, while starter Ferdinand quickly earned 10 points in 10 minutes of play. Jackson shot a perfect 6-of-6 from the field, finishing with 13 points and three assists. Anderson had a strong game, scoring 12 on 6-of-7 shooting and Lori Payne (Washington / Havre, Mont.) added 11 points and four assists. With Snow’s team-leading 11 rebounds, plus Cooper’s 10, the U.S. easily outrebounded Malaysia,
45-18. The U.S. shot 54.0 percent (34-63 FGs) from the field compared to Malaysia’s dismal 19.1 percent (9-47 FGs).
The U.S. opened the game with an 8-0 run and Malaysia was never a threat. Finishing the half holding a 38-14 advantage, the USA’s hot shooting continued as the Americans started the second half with a 10-0 run and coasted in for the lopsided 79-24 win.
The USA team will reassemble on Aug. 29 in Honolulu, Hawaii, to begin training for a Sept. 3 exhibition game against the USA Basketball Women’s Senior National Team. The contest, held at the University of Hawaii’s Stan Sheriff Center, will be nationally televised on ESPN2 and will be the final domestic exhibition game for the USA Senior National Team before it leaves for Australia to complete its preparations for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
2000 Women’s R. William Jones Cup Standings
1. USA 4 0
2. Japan 3 1
3. Republic of China 2 2
4. Korea 1 3
5. Malaysia 0 4
2000 Women’s R. William Jones Cup Results
Sunday, July 16
USA 85, Republic of China 53
Korea 74, Malaysia 39
Monday, July 17
Japan 85, Malaysia 45
United States 73, Korea 49
Tuesday, July 18
Japan 85, Korea 46
China 72, Malaysia 48
Wednesday, July 19
USA 83, Japan 80
Republic of China 93, Korea 55
Thursday, July 20
USA 79, Malaysia 24
Japan 60, Republic of China 50