The USA mounted a balanced attack against Brazil and defeated them 112-53 in the opening round of the World University Games.
Every member of the USA team played at least 10 minutes, and five of them scored in double digits.
Chiney scored six points, five rebounds and three assists in 10 minutes without committing a single foul!
Nneka scored 14 points, two rebounds and two blocks in 12 minures of play.
This is what Nneka had to say after the game:
What did if feel like to play in the first game of the tournament?
It was amazing. We were in awe last night when we went to watch the men's team play, and we were really excited. We weren't actually expecting a full crowd, but it seemed like everybody was there. Playing in this arena is a lot of fun, and obviously stepping on the court with U-S-A on your chest is an amazing feeling.
On tonight's game:
We are really trying to focus on staying together and being focused. We have a lot of players that haven't played internationally before, and I think the feeling that you get on the court is a little different than back home and people were still getting used to that. It took us a few minutes today, but we got it started about halfway through the first quarter. Coming out with a lot of intensity will be a huge focus for us moving forward.
On the USA's depth:
It's so much fun. It's not often at all that you get to play with the people that you are usually playing against. I've never had this much talent on a team before, and you really have to embrace the experience because you never know if you will be able to get to do this again. I'm just really happy with the team. We are focused on collaborating and being a unit, and I'm excited for five more games.
On the third quarter:
They had 17 points at halftime, and they scored 23 in the third. I think we just lost our focus. Coach talked about how sometimes teams play to the scoreboard and don't play against the game. We need to win every quarter. Doesn't matter what the score is. We strayed a little bit away from that, but we are going to work to stay focused.
On Opening Ceremonies:
Oh my gosh, that was an experience I will never forget. It was unlike anything I've ever experienced. When people say that this is like a mini-Olympics, or it's comparable to the Olympics, they are not lying. Walking out with all of my teammates and all of the U.S. athletes with our outfits on and the American flag, it was an experience of a lifetime. I had a lot of fun. China did so much to prepare for these games, and it was beautiful.
Click here for the game report, box score and more quotes and photos.
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