Olympic Women’s Basketball Report: Conde & Casas Score as Spain Clinches Top Spot in Group A Over Serbia

On August 3, the final round of Group A matches in the Olympic women’s basketball tournament saw Serbia take on Spain for the top spot in the group.

In the first quarter, Rodriguez scored first with a layup and then hit a three-pointer to give Spain an early 5-0 lead. After two minutes, Nogic broke Serbia’s scoring drought with a three-pointer, and Serbia quickly closed the gap. Anderson made both free throws to tie the score at 7-all. Neither team had a high shooting percentage, and the points climbed slowly. Araujo hit a three-pointer, giving Spain a 14-11 lead. Casas drove for a layup to end the first quarter with Spain leading 16-13.

In the second quarter, Paula scored first with a layup, and Kado responded with a jump shot. Spain took the initiative as Casas scored on a fast break layup, putting Spain up 23-15. Jovancevic scored on a put-back to stop the bleeding, but the game’s pace quickened, with scores rising alternately. Jovanovic scored in the paint, and Dugalic scored on a fast break, narrowing Serbia’s deficit to 26-29. Spain then went on an 8-2 run to extend their lead, and at halftime, Spain led 37-28.

In the third quarter, Gil hit a three-pointer first. Serbia’s captain, Krashnik, picked up her third foul early, and Serbia’s offense struggled, failing to score for nearly four minutes. Spain went on a 9-0 run, extending their lead to 18 points. After a timeout, Serbia still couldn’t score, while Conde hit a three-pointer, increasing the lead to 21 points. Midway through the quarter, Serbia finally scored, and their offense improved slightly, closing the gap somewhat by the end of the quarter. At the end of the third quarter, Spain led 55-38.

In the fourth quarter, Paula scored four straight points, but Serbia’s offense faltered, failing to score for over three and a half minutes. Torrens scored on a layup, extending the lead to 23 points. Jovancevic finally scored, breaking Serbia’s drought. Paula scored on a mid-range shot, and Spain led 63-41. After a timeout, Spain’s stamina dipped, and Serbia went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead. Bilalo hit a three-pointer to stop the bleeding, and Serbia’s offense picked up, reducing the lead to nine points with just two minutes left, bringing the suspense back into the game. Ortiz hit a crucial mid-range shot, and Anderson completed a three-point play, cutting the lead to six points, but it was too late. Spain maintained their advantage and ultimately defeated Serbia, finishing the group stage undefeated and securing the top spot in the group.

Player Statistics:

Serbia: Anderson 18 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals; Nogic 7 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, 3 steals; Jovancevic 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal; Dugalic 7 points, 1 rebound; Krainsik 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal; Jankovic 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals; Kado 5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals; Stankovic 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal; Katanic 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist; Lazic 2 rebounds, 3 assists;

Spain: Conde 15 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 steals; Casas 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals; Jimenez 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal; Cazorla 7 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists; Torrens 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist; Ortiz 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists; Rodriguez 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists; Gustavsson 4 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal; Villaro 3 points; Araujo 3 points, 1 rebound; Gil 2 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals;

Starting Lineups:

Spain: Cazorla, Conde, Gil, Rodriguez, Gustavsson

Serbia: Anderson, Kado, Krashnik, Nogic, Lazic