Team USA routs Canada to reach FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup gold-medal game

SYDNEY — Breanna Stewart and the United States used a dominant defensive effort to beat Canada and reach the gold-medal game of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup for the fourth consecutive tournament.

Stewart scored 17 points and the Americans raced out to an early lead to put away Canada 83-43 on Friday. The 43 points was the fewest scored in a semifinal game in World Cup history.

«Canada has been playing really well all tournament, and the goal was just to come out there and really limit them,» said U.S. forward Alyssa Thomas. «We were really locked in from the jump with our game plan.»

The Americans will face either China or Australia, who were playing later in the day, for the gold.

«Our goal was to win a gold medal, and we're in position to do that,» U.S. coach Cheryl Reeve said.

The U.S. (7-0), which is on a record pace for points and margin of victory in the tournament, took control of the game early, scoring the first 15 points. The Americans contested every shot on the defensive end as the Canadians missed their first nine attempts from the field. On the offensive end, Stewart, Thomas and A'ja Wilson basically got any shot they wanted.

«I think after that punch, it really took the air out of them,» Thomas said. «They didn't know what to do with their offense anymore after that.»

Laeticia Amihere, who plays at South Carolina for former U.S. coach Dawn Staley, finally got Canada on the board nearly 5 minutes into the game by making a driving layup.

By the end of the quarter, the U.S. led 27-7. Canada had committed four turnovers — the same number the team had against Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals, which was the lowest total in a game in 30 years.

The Americans were up 45-21 at the half, and the lead kept