Brazil '06: Nigeria bow to USA 79-46

Team USA raced out of the blocks on their way to pulverising Nigeria 79-46 in Brazil.

The Americans were 25-4 up at the end of the first quarter and never looked back, keeping Africa Champion at arm’s length throughout.

Only in the third quarter, when Nigeria outscored the USA 21-18, did the game swing even slightly away from Anne Donovan’s team.

DeLisha Milton-Jones hit a team-high 13 points and she was backed up by Seimone Augustus and Tina Thompson, who each pitched in 10 points, while Sheryl Swoopes and Sue Bird dished out seven and six assists, respectively.

Donovan was pleased with what she had seen, despite her troops easing off the gas later in the game.

She said: “We came out of the gates really playing well, our first quarter was brilliant.

"And then it's difficult, I think, to maintain that intensity, that drive, when the gap becomes that great. I think we fell prey to that a little bit."

Team USA play the also-unbeaten Russia in a meeting of the world’s top-two FIBA-ranked teams later today, and Milton-Jones knows what they are about.

"We know that Russia is very big from the two on down to the five," she said, with two seasons of experience in the Russian pro league behind her.

"That can cause a lot of problems for a team as far as getting into the lane and they can always contest the shot or contesting a shot on the outside. We're going to have to play perfect basketball.”

Day 2 Results:

Spain vs Argentina: 64-77
Chinese Taipei vs France: 68-100
Brazil vs Korea: 106-86
China vs Russia: 66-86
Canada vs Lithuania: 58-84
Czech Republic vs Cuba: 73-51
Australia vs Senegal: 95-55
Nigeria vs USA: 46-79

Courtesy fiba.com