Aug. 14, 2011

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Maryland women's basketball senior Lynetta Kizer (Woodbridge, Va./Potomac High School) and Team USA topped Brazil 112-53 in the opening round of the Women's World University Games in Shenzhen, China. Kizer added eight points in the victory.

Racing out to a 25-6 first-quarter lead, the 2011 USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team (1-0) never looked back as it posted an impressive 112-53 opening victory over Brazil (0-1) on Sunday morning in Shenzhen, China.

Elena Delle Donne (Delaware/ Wilmington, Del.) scored a game-high 17 points to lead five U.S. players in double digits as Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Stanford/Cypress, Texas) and Odyssey Sims (Baylor/Irving, Texas) pitched in 14 points each, and Glory Johnson (Tennessee/Knoxville, Tenn.) and Shekinna Stricklen (Tennessee/Morrilton, Ark.) added 12 points apiece.

Kizer and three others also scored, as Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame/South Bend, Ind.), Keisha Hampton (DePaul/Philadelphia, Pa.) and Devereaux Peters (Notre Dame/Chicago, Ill.) chipped in nine points each.

Next up for the USA is a game against Slovakia (0-1) on Aug. 15 (10:00 p.m. EDT, Aug. 14) and the team closes preliminary play against Great Britain (1-0) on Aug. 16 (6:00 a.m. EDT). Medal quarterfinals are slated for Aug. 18, semifinals will be played Aug. 19 and the finals will be held on Aug. 21.

"We have 12 great players," said Bill Fennelly, USA World University Games Team and Iowa State University head coach. "You feel like you can wear people down at times, and the balance is how those players that come in and out of the game get into a rhythm, so you have to be careful. We wanted to keep attacking, and all of these players deserve a chance to play. In a game like this, where the pace is up and down, you want to keep everyone fresh. I think the strength of our teams historically is one through 12, the USA is usually deeper than most teams, and certainly that was the case today.

The USA struck first and never trailed. With the score knotted at 6-6 early in the first quarter, Team USA's defense held Brazil scoreless for a 9:26 span, while its offense scored 21 unanswered points. The run, which ended with a Natalie Novosel (Notre Dame/Lexington, Ky.) jumper at 9:21 to play in the half pushed the score to 27-6.

Brazil, coached by former WNBA Houston Comet Janeth Arcain, went on a mini-run, 6-2, leaving the score 29-12 at 7:03. Behind three straight 3-pointers from Stricklen, who hit her fourth after Della Donne netted two, the USA reeled off 17 straight points to take a commanding 46-13 lead with 3:49 to go before halftime.

By the midway break the USA's lead was 57-17 and the only remaining question was what the final score would be. The U.S. outscored Brazil 28-23 in the third quarter and 27-13 in the fourth for the final.

Brazil's Nadia Colhado was her team's leading scorer with 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

2011 USA Women's World University Games Schedule

For more information on the World University Games and Team USA, log on http://www.usabasketball.com.