USA U 19 downs Argentina 89-39 -- Thursday Cardinal Couple

MOORE NAILS THREE THREES IN WIN

MOORE FOR THREEEEE!!!!

The USA U 19 women's basketball team advanced out of the Sweet Sixteen yesterday (we're shocked!) with a 50-point win over winless Argentina. This one was played at Vidnoje instead of Chekhov (seems they have two sites for these games...) and was played without Jeff Walz...who was still in Chekhov with shuttle issues. He tweeted:

"After shuttle issues Jacob and I weren't able 2 make game. Finishing Canada scout for tomorrow, Enjoying first half." 

OK, Coach...it happens...but I'm pretty sure they're playing the quarterfinals on Friday. Unless you know something we don't. (Who wants to bet he spent the day at the Moscow Zoo?) 

It's 47 km (that's 30 miles to you and I) between the two facilities. It would be like getting stuck in Shelbyville trying to get to the KFC YUM! Center....so we'll give him a pass and it looks like he got to see a good game in Chekhov...Canada maybe pulling the only upset of the day in knocking off Serbia.

At Vidnoje, meanwhile...

USA and Argentina were deadlocked in a 2-2 thriller (yawn...) 150 seconds into the contest when the USA took off on a 19-0 run over the next six minutes. Mariya Moore, who got the start, canned a three to put USA up 14-2. The first ten minutes mercifully ended for Argentina with USA leading 28-4.   

Mariya sat the first seven minutes of the second quarter but it didn't seem to affect Team USA...they held a 40-12 lead when she came in the game. She hooked up with a nice assist to Napheesa Collier at the 1:22 mark to make it 45-15 and USA led 48-18 at the half. 

Maybe the Argentinians were wishing they were in Chekhov at this point, too...or at the Zoo with Walz and Jacob.

Mariya started the second half and had an immediate impact by nailing a three for USA's first points of the half at the 8:38 mark. With 7:41 to go, she threaded a pass to A'ja Wilson for a basket +1.

Another Moore three tickled the nets with 6:44 showing on the clock and Argentina called a timeout...trailing 59-20. Two free throws pushed her point total to 11 with 3:48 remaining and the score stood at 63-22. A nifty interior pass by Moore to Chatrice White led to basket with 99 seconds left in the quarter and USA held 69-26 with ten minutes to play. 

Moore, Dangerfield, Wilson, Thomas and Collier got a well-deserved rest in the fourth quarter...and USA rolled on to the 89-39 win. Things got a tad chippy late...Lauren Cox and Ali Patberg were decked on a couple of aggressive fouls and Cox delivered a pretty solid elbow of her own that sent the Argentina center to the floor. 

On a side note, I've fallen in love with Ali Patberg's game. So much hustle, defensive intensity and a better-than-average shot. Muffet McGraw is going to love her, too....

USA gets Canada next. Also advancing into the "Great Eight" were France, Australia, Belgium, Russia, Spain and China...who beat Taiwan. Really? All that way just to play Taiwan? They could have met in Hong Kong...

Paulie Observations:

-- It's nice to see Sasha Baron Cohen has found work again...I'm pretty sure that was him imitating Borat as the PA Announcer during the game. 

-- The Argentina team had DirecTv sponsorship's on their jerseys. Now I know why the audio kept going out. They also did this crazy kind of circle dance around the half-court emblem before the game started and were chanting something. It probably wasn't USA! USA!

-- In the "Son, are you old enough to drive?" category...the male referee looked to be maybe in his freshmen year of high school. He blew the whistle, though, with the aplomb of Dee Kanter on a nationally televised game. 

-- Hadn't noticed this before...but the shot clock violation horn sounded like a car alarm going off. Or, maybe it was a car alarm? Maybe it was Walz trying to sneak into the arena through an unauthorized entrance...in any event, let's hope the ACC doesn't adopt this "horrid horn" policy...

paulie