Opals thrash India ahead of Japan clash

Eziyoda Magbegor

The Australian Opals have secured a place in the final round of Olympic qualifying but their focus is now on ending their losing run against Japan. The Opals thrashed India 114-29 in their second FIBA pre-Olympic qualifier in Malaysia on Saturday night and did so without Elizabeth Cambage (203-C-91), who was in street clothes after playing in Thursday night's win over Chinese Taipei. No information was provided by Basketball Australia or FIBA about whether Elizabeth Cambage was injured or rested. She didn't show any signs of strapping or injury when spotted behind the team bench. Elizabeth Cambage will be a key player if she is fit to compete against Japan although the Opals have plenty of WNBA and international experience on their roster. Rebecca Allen (188-G-92, agency: LBM Management) delivered 20 points, while Eziyoda Magbegor (176-F/C-99) added 16 points and 9 rebounds for the Opals. Shruthi Arvind (SG-96) answered with 7 points for India.
The Opals meet Japan on Sunday night to round-out the pre-qualifiers and while both teams have secured passage to February's Olympic qualifying tournaments, a win for Australia should give them a higher seeding for when FIBA draws the pools.
Courtesy of: watoday.com.au

Tags : EZIYODA MAGBEGOR, AUSTRALIAN BASKETBALL