One game into the women’s basketball quarterfinals and there’s already an upset. Serbia knocked off Australia, sending the Opals home without a medal for the first time since 1992.
Ana Dabovic was the hero for Serbia, scoring 24 points to go along with four assists and three steals in the winning effort.
Serbia overcame a poor shooting night by playing tenacious defense throughout the game. The Serbians collected 15 steals and forced Australia to commit 25 turnovers.
Australia’s Liz Cambage, the leading scorer in the tournament through the group stage, scored a game-high 29 points and collected 11 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as Australia could not keep up with Serbia.
The Aussies led by one going into the fourth quarter, but were outscored 22-19 in the final frame. Penny Taylor, one of Australia’s best players, scored just two points and was 0-for-7 from the field, with her lone points coming on free throws.
Serbia entered the game as big underdogs, having only won two games heading into the knockout round while Australia was undefeated in group play.