Olympics 2008
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BEIJING – Kara Lawson is getting used to this.
The guard has been gone a long time from Tennessee, but she is just a rookie on the United States women’s basketball team at the Summer Olympics.
The U.S. beat Spain on Friday night 77-50 in the first game that bordered on a test for the heavily favored defending gold medalists.
The first half wasn’t pretty as a 13-0 by Spain left the U.S. having to stage a mini-rally for a 32-21 halftime lead. The U.S. poured on the defense in the second half to blow it open at the end.
For her part, Lawson said she’s getting comfortable with her role.
“It feels good,” she said. “I feel like I’m settling in to what coaches want me to do, which is to come in and bring energy, take care of the basketball, defend my position. It is a lot of fun playing with all these players.”
The M.O. has been similar through most of these pool games. About five minutes in, Lawson comes running off the bench. The opponent’s point guard feels the pain almost immediately of having to deal with her hounding ball pressure. Although Lawson has not been scoring, she has been piling up assists and steals.
She was not as happy with her play on Friday.
“Personally, I was disappointed with the way I played in the first half, also with the way coming off the bench that we played as a group,” she said, sounding much like the ESPN analyst she is in the WNBA offseason. “Our starters started the game off really well. We were up 19-4 with a couple minutes left in the first quarter.
“Then we come in and all of a sudden it’s a close game. They go on a 13-0 run. For us, it was a good lesson. We have to come in focused when we do come in.”
Lawson finished with five points, two rebounds and two assists.
Five players were in double figures including former UT All-American Candace Parker with 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting in 16 minutes off the bench. Former UT guard Tamika Catchings had her usual solid game with 9 points on 4-of-5 shooting with 4 rebounds and 3 steals, two blocks in 18 minutes.
With four wins, the U.S. has secured a berth into quarterfinal play, regardless of its final preliminary round game against New Zealand (0-4) Sunday night.
UConn Thing: Lawson said playing with old UT foes Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, there has been little college smack talk.
“We don’t talk about college much,” she said. “You know, it goes so fast, How long we been out? I have been out six years. Catch, seven or eight years. We’re all on the same team now.”
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Comments » 6
miamiVOL writes:
USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA
vol4gzus writes:
I'm sorry could you repeat that miamiVol. I got lost in the IM code.
Go United States of America!!! Go Lady Vols!!! No stats on Kara Lawson or Tamika's final stats.
NOLAvol writes:
Whether son or daughter, wouldn't you want your kid to choose Tamika Catchings as their on-court role model?
The Olympic Games is an appropriate venue for how she plays the game--with character, commitment, and selfless contributions to the team around her.
Volfantm writes:
Lady Vols doing us proud yet again!
pammyvol1000 writes:
This team is awesome!! Could this be our new women's Dream Team? I think so!! Go Tamika, Kara, Candace!! Go USA!
GreerVol22 writes:
could their be a less flattering picture ???
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