2013 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women
USA in final to defend title

The USA have qualified for their 5th consecutive U19 World Championship for Women final. They beat the 1993 champions Australia (77-54) in the second semi-final in Klaipeda.

They will face France in the gold medal game, while Spain and Australia have to settle for the bronze medal game.

France ended Spain's dreams of a third consecutive final (62-58) in the first semi-final.

This defeat for Spain leaves the USA as the only team in the competition not to have suffered a loss.

In the second quarter-final Australia gave the impression that they were going to take the USA to the wire leading (14-11) after the first quarter.

The game remained tight up to the 14th minute with Australia still holding the advantage (20-17).

The Americans and in particular Breanna Stewart (in picture with ball) then went on the war path and finished the first half with a 21-0 run that brought the contest to an abrupt end (38-20).

The last 20 minutes turned into a USA master class in the art of defending a lead.

Australia were a shadow of themselves and despite trying hard were never going to overturn the first-half deficit.

For the USA all 12 players got on the scoresheet with Steward being the only player in double digits with 23 points in the (77-54) victory.  For Australia StephanieTalbot was the top scorer with 11 points.

The rest of the news from day 8

Brazil saw a 24-point lead shrink to 3 with a minute left to play. But Canada's luck ended when Isabella Ramona (26 points) knocked in the last 4 points of the game for Brazil to win (70-63).

Brazil will contest the fifth place match against China who walloped Japan (70-49).

Russia ended their competition by winning the 9th place game against the Netherlands (83-80) while Serbia had an easy finish to claim 11th place with a walkover against Lithuania (84-36).

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