|
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Brazil defeats South Korea for bronze
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Brazil's first medal in women's Olympic basketball came four years ago and that silver belonged to the great backcourt of Hortencia and Paula. Four years later, with those stars retired, Brazil won the bronze and it belonged to Janeth and Alessandra. Janeth Arcain had 28 points and Alessandra Oliveira added 26 points and 16 rebounds as Brazil beat South Korea 84-73 in overtime Friday for third place in the women's tournament. Arcain and Oliveira are two of the six players who were also on the 1996 team that was dominated by Hortencia Marcari and Paula da Silva. "For us this medal has a taste of gold because we went through some much and stayed together," Arcain said. "It exceptionally satisfying and we are exceptionally happy with the medal because this generation will make Brazil proud. We cannot always remember Hortencia and Paula. These are new faces, a new group." Arcain, who missed nine minutes of the first half after picking up her third personal foul, scored all 10 of Brazil's points in an eight-minute span of the second. Arcain's three-point play with 6:11 to play gave Brazil (4-4) a 51-50 lead. South Korea (4-4), which won its only medal when it finished second in 1984, stayed within four points of the bigger Brazilian team, then tied the game 65-65 with 18 seconds left on a two-handed 3-pointer by Yang Jung-ok. Arcain had a chance to win it in regulation, but her runner just before the buzzer was partially blocked. It didn't take her long to recover, though, as she scored the first field goal of the second half on an offensive rebound and Brazil never trailed again. She and Oliveira combined for Brazil's final 15 points, including the game-ending 9-0 run. "We knew we could win a medal but we knew we had to be patient against a team like Korea, especially at the end of the game because they are so balanced and don't make mistakes," Brazil coach Antonio Carlos Barbosa said. "We stayed balanced even when Janeth was in foul trouble." In addition to a silver and bronze medal Arcain had four WNBA championship rings with the Houston Comets. "This is more important than the WNBA championships," she said. "This medal is not only for me but it belongs to all the Brazilian people cheering for this team." Jung Sun-min had 23 points for South Korea, while Park Jung-eun had 22. "We knew Brazil would be a very strong team but we didn't know the height would play such an important role," South Korea coach Yoo Soo-jong said, referring to the 33-20 rebound disadvantage his team had. "I think we are of the same level as Brazil and we are proud of that."
| ||||||||||||||||||||
