LONDON — The U.S. Women’s National Team used a 16-0 fourth-quarter run to shake off early jitters and pull away with an 81-56 win over Croatia in the opening game of the London Olympics on Saturday.
Former LSU stars Sylvia Fowles and Seimone Augustus came off the bench in the contest. Fowles finished with two points and three rebounds, while Augustus had two points, four rebounds and an assist.
“I wouldn’t say we overlooked them,” said Fowles. “We made sure we didn’t overlook them. The first game is always kind of ‘eh.’ It was good to get it out of the way. I think we were too anxious and too excited. We got good looks, but we just weren’t knocking them down.
The Americans shot 44 percent from the floor and held a 21-9 advantage before Croatia scored 14 unanswered points to take a 23-21 lead in the second quarter. The U.S. claimed a 53-49 lead early in the fourth quarter before pulling away.
“We just came up with the energy,” Fowles said of the spurt. “Coach (Auriemma) stressed to go out there and pressure the ball a little bit more, get after them. It kind of soaked into everybody, so everybody stepped on the court and really focused on doing what he said.
Team USA continues Olympic preliminary play at 4:15 p.m. CT Monday against Angola. The contest will be televised live on the NBC Basketball Channel and streamed on www.NBCOlympics.com.