Opals storm home to claim quarter-finals spot

Marianna Tolo scored 26 points, and Australia bushed Puerto Rico 95-69 Monday nighttime to beforehand to the quarter-finals of the women's Olympic tournament.

The world's second-ranked squad came successful needing to bushed Puerto Rico by astatine slightest 24 points to beforehand with different tiebreaker. Anything little would nonstop the Opals location with Canada advancing to the quarter-finals. FanDuel acceptable a enactment favoring Australia by 36.

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The Opals didn't lucifer that. They did triumph by capable to extremity Canada's enactment earlier the knockout circular needing a 10-0 tally implicit the last 2:19 to clinch and commencement a celebration.

"It's been specified a conflict to get to this point," Tolo said. "There's been truthful overmuch going on, and I'm conscionable truthful arrogant of however we fought."

Yueru Li of Team China and Marianna Tolo of Team Australia combat for possession of the shot during the 2nd fractional of a Women's Basketball Preliminary Round Group lucifer betwixt Australia and Puerto Rico astatine the Tokyo Olympics. (Getty)

"We didn't travel retired however we wanted to, and adjacent conscionable to combat backmost successful that 2nd fractional and instrumentality power of the crippled and triumph it with those 2 quarters, it's conscionable unbelievable."

Puerto Rico recorded their highest people of the tournament, but yet were incapable to lucifer it with the Australians.

"Credit to them, they played hard the full game," Tolo said.

"They came present and unluckily weren't capable to get a win, and you could archer they truly wanted 1 tonight. We were a spot bigger than them, and we took vantage of that.

"It's a caller commencement now, we're into the quarter-finals and thing tin happen, truthful we're each truly excited for that."

Australia played without Liz Cambage, who withdrew earlier the Tokyo Games, and Stephanie Talbot, who plays with the WNBA's Seattle Storm. She missed the Olympic opener with an injured foot, played the archetypal fractional of a nonaccomplishment to China but stayed connected the seat for the 2nd half.

SAITAMA, JAPAN - AUGUST 02: Bec Allen #9 of Team Australia and teammate Cayla George #15 observe aft defeating Puerto Rico successful a Women's Basketball Preliminary Round Group C crippled connected time 10 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games astatine Saitama Super Arena connected August 02, 2021 successful Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) (Getty)

Cayla George scored 19 points for Australia. Jenna O'Hea added 15, Leilani Mitchell had 12 and Ezi Magbegor 10.

Jazmon Gwathmey led Puerto Rico (0-3) with 26 points. Pamela Rosado had 13 and Jennifer O'Neill added 12.

The Opals missed their archetypal 5 shots. Puerto Rico didn't and scored the archetypal 8 points and led 24-22 aft 10 minutes. Australia led 45-44 astatine halftime.

Then the Opals dominated the third, outscoring Puerto Rico 23-8 successful the 4th for a 68-52 lead.

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