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WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL: U.S. Women Overwhelm Argentina, 82-9, to Remain Undefeated in Preliminary Round Play
By Susan Katz // U.S. Paralympics // August 16, 2007
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil—The U.S. Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team continues to roll through the competition at the 2007 Parapan American Games. The U.S. knocked off Argentina, 82-9, on the third day of preliminary round play. The team is undefeated at 3-0 and has two games remaining in round-robin play.
“We wanted to use this game to work on improving ourselves as a team so we could get ready for Brazil on Thursday,” said U.S. head coach Ron Lykins (Stillwater, Minn.). “There were times we had some lapses, but overall we did a good job and I was happy with it.”
For the second time in three games, the U.S. was led by Desiree Miller (Tuscaloosa, Ala./Monroe, Wash.). Miller scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting and also grabbed seven rebounds. This is the first time Miller has played in an international-level tournament and she humbly says she can’t take all the credit for her success.
“This is a great opportunity for me to be playing at this level and I wouldn’t be successful without the help of my teammates,” said Miller. “I’m excited about being here and more than that there’s a great excitement among the team. We’re just ready to be here and we want to be in that gold medal game.”
According to co-captain Patty Cisneros (Scottsdale, Ariz./Lake Station, Ind.), giving new players like Miller quality minutes on the floor is going to be a big key to the team’s success as the tournament goes on.
“Getting game experience for our new players is incredibly important,” said Cisneros. “There’s probably going to be a time in a bigger game when one of our veterans gets into foul trouble and its going to be important for our rookies to fill those roles. Games like this are really beneficial for them to see how it is to run the floor or step up in a tight spot.”
On Thursday, August 16, the U.S. faces host country Brazil at 12:00 PM (local) at the Rio Multipurpose Arena.
“It will be a special environment for us to play in on Thursday,” said Lykins. “Brazilians are passionate about sports and they’re really going to be into it. If we don’t play well, it could be a very difficult game for us. They’re a much improved team and we’re going to have to play smart. As always, we’ll tell our girls to play our game and everything should be okay.”
For more information, please contact Susan Katz at 011 5521 8890-3125 (International cell phone) or susan.katz@usoc.org.
About U.S. Paralympics:
U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is dedicated to becoming the world leader in the Paralympic sports movement and to promoting excellence in the lives of persons with physical disabilities. Visit the U.S. Paralympics Web site at www.usparalympics.org.
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