U.S. routs Korea in women's basketball

By MIKE PRATER

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece - The United States women's basketball team needed a defensive stopper against Korea on Wednesday.

It found one in Tamika Catchings.

It makes sense - Catchings won two championships in the Women's Korea Basketball League in 2003 and knows the playing habits of many of the Koreans.

Catchings shut down Korean sharp-shooter Yeong Ok Kim in the second half as the Americans rallied for an 80-57 victory in their third pool-play game of the Olympic tournament.

The heavily favored Americans led only 39-32 at halftime, mostly because Kim was 3 for 4 from the three-point range. The Americans were 1 of 11 from long range, but that wasn't the problem for a team that likes to push the tempo and feed the ball to its dominant inside players.

The problem was switching defenders on Korea's quick screen game, plugging the passing lanes, compensating for Korea's quick footwork and denying Kim the ball.

Enter Catchings, who played against Kim in Korea - and stuck to her like a best friend in the second half Wednesday. Kim had only one 3-point attempt in the final 20 minutes - and missed.

``I just kind of chased her around everywhere I went,'' said Catchings, a 6-foot-1 forward. ``Our defensive intensity picked up big time, and I thought I did a good job on her. Of course, I'm a foot taller than she is.''Catchings, who plays with the Indiana Fever of the WNBA, won a winter season and a summer season championship with Woori Bank of the Korean League.

``It's been a hard grind, but I like playing basketball. This is what I do,'' she said.

Now Catchings is trying to win an Olympic championship. She scored the first bucket of the second half, which sparked a 19-2 run by the Americans. Suddenly, they led the winless Koreans 58-34 before 2,000 people inside the Helliniko Indoor Arena.

Catchings finished with six points and six rebounds.

Teammate Lisa Leslie dominated the inside with 11-of-13 shooting and a game-high 25 points. Tina Thompson also worked hard inside, scoring 18 points against the much smaller Koreans. They each had seven rebounds.

The U.S. outscored Korea 48-18 in the paint and 24-9 on fastbreak points and won the rebounding battle 45-19.

The U.S. is 3-0 in this tournament, having outscored its opponents by an average of 31 points. If the Americans beat Spain on Friday, they will clinch the No. 1 seed out of Group B.

Ruth Riley helped the Americans on Wednesday with seven points and five rebounds in 10 minutes off the bench. She didn't play in the first half, but the Detroit Shock player seems to understand her role on this team.

``The talent on our team is amazing, so I know my minutes are going to be limited, and I'm just going to make the best of it,'' the 6-5 center said. ``Every player wants to be out there on the court, but there's not selfishness in the Olympics, so you just do the best you can when your number is called.''

Riley, who is averaging five points a game, said the team still hasn't played its best.

``We're taking steps in the right direction. Obviously we're not peaking yet, but you don't want to be at this point, and I think every game we're getting better,'' Riley said.