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The Australian Opals have produced their worst game of the Rio Olympics marred by turnovers, going down in a massive upset to Serbia by two points in the quarter-finals.
The Opals came up with a ridiculously high 26 turnovers throughout the contest and as a result struggled to every build any sort of lead over Serbia.
When they could go a few minutes without making a turnover, it was clear who the better team was going to be, but even then Australia’s defence was slow and their movement off the ball on offence very lazy.
This was a complete contrast to what Serbia showed throughout the match, fighting hard for every possession, every lose ball and every single point at both ends of the floor.
It followed the trend right throughout the tournament for the Opals where they struggled to build a lead against most teams because of their laziness on defence, and turnovers on offence.
Serbia had to weather a big storm named Liz Cambage, but they managed to get through that, getting her into foul trouble and from there they managed to hold a lead through the final few minutes of the fourth quarter.
Their best player was easily Ana Dabovic, and arguably she was the best player on court. She would end up with 24 points, and even though she shot under 50 per cent, she found herself at the free throw line plenty of times and was tenacious on defence.
Her sister, Milica Dabnovic played an incredible game on the defensive end and was responsible for a number of turnovers, while Jelena Milojanovic and Sonja Petrovic had very good games.
The way they played though, taking into account their defence meant it was a complete team effort though.
The Opals lacked spark on the offensive end, and if Liz Cambage wasn’t out there it really was a question of where their next point was coming from. She would end with 29 points and 11 rebounds in another double-double effort.
Apart from brief sparks on the offensive end though from Rachael Jarry and Leilani Mitchell, the Australian’s struggled to stay consistent and constantly invited Serbia back into the match.
Heading into the final quarter, Serbia were down by a point and managed to stay right in the game, taking the lead in the back end with Australia continuing to turn the ball over.
The match became very physical and very scrappy with plenty of fouls and ugly looking challenges through the back end as well, but nontheless Serbia would hold the lead through the final few minutes and into the final 60 seconds.
Dabovic then got sent to the free throw line with 10 seconds to go after an intentional foul. She made one to put Serbia up by two, and Leilani Mitchell then couldn’t make anything happen for the Opals, with the buzzer expiring before they could make a shot.
In the end at Carioca Arena, Serbia out hustled and out played Australia to take a two point win.
Final score:
Australian Opals 71
Serbia 73
The Australian Opals are out to continue their outstanding form from the group stage when they take on Serbia, who only just got through in the Rio Olympics women’s basketball quarter-final. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 12 midnight (AEST).
The Opals are undefeated, although they have been starting matches slowly, finding themselves behind on the scoreboard throughout much of the first half.
While the Aussies have been playing good basketball and been able to come back, as we move into the knockout stages and the pressure ramps up, they can ill-afford to continue this trend.
Serbia took a while to get going in the tournament, dropping each of their first three matches – against Spain, Canada and the United States of America – when they should have picked up at least one of the first two.
Since then, they scraped through against the lowly China and Senegal. In short, Serbia are yet to play a game that would worry any of the top contenders.
Liz Cambage has been the key for the Opals, and if Serbia can’t find a way to slow her down in the paint then this match will be over before it starts.
While Cambage is averaging massive numbers – 22.4 points per game and a further 10.2 rebounds per game – it is her combination with captain Penny Taylor that is the squad’s most successful element, with Taylor topping for assists.
Simply put, the skipper’s service of the ball to Cambage has been first class.
Sonja Petrovic has the Serbs’ best, and she needs to stand up if they are to overcome Australia’s defensive structure. Averaging about 16 points per game, Petrovic needs to score 25 or more in this one.
Prediction
Serbia should be no match for a red-hot Opals outfit. It will be close early, but blow out towards the end.
Opals by 14.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of this quarter-final in Rio from 12 midnight (AEST), and get involved by commenting below.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde