SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA LAGUNA, Spain (AP) — The Latest on the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Championship day (all times local):
7:20 p.m.
Spain nearly blew a 12-point second-half lead before holding off Belgium 67-60 on Sunday night to win the bronze medal at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup
The host nation led 55-43 heading into the fourth quarter before Belgium scored the first 11 points of the period to cut its gap to one.
Spain rebuilt a 60-54 advantage before Emma Meesseman’s jumper got Belgium within 60-58 with 2:51 left, but could get no closer. Spain closed the game scoring seven of the final nine points to win the bronze.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock the team celebrated at center court much to the delight of the home crowd. The whole team spent a few minutes on the court after the game dancing and celebrating. They finally locked arms with each other running from side to side on the court drawing a raucous cheer from the fans.
Marta Xargay had 17 points and Alba Torrens added 15 for Spain (5-2).
Meesseman had 24 points and nine rebounds for Belgium (4-2).
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5:10 p.m.
France used a big third quarter to top China 81-67 on Sunday in the fifth-place game of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
The French led 37-36 at the half before outscoring the Chinese team by 10 in the third quarter to take an 11-point advantage into the final period.
France hit three 3-pointers to open the fourth as part of a 9-2 run and China could get no closer than 14 the rest of the way.
Sandrine Gruda had 16 points to lead France (5-2).
Shao Ting scored 16 points to lead China (4-3).
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3:15 p.m.
Canada held off Nigeria 73-72 to finish in seventh place in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup on Sunday.
The seventh-place finish for Canada was a bit of a disappointment as the Canadians had medal aspirations, especially after winning their group. But a loss to Spain in the quarterfinals derailed that chance. Canada fell to China in the consolation round, putting the team in the seventh place game.
Kia Nurse scored 17 points to lead Canada (4-2).
Nigeria (3-4) had one last chance, but trailing by three points with a few seconds left, Atonye Nyingifa decided to drive for a layup instead of attempting a potential tying 3-pointer. She followed up her own miss with a putback just before the buzzer, but Nigeria finished a point short. Nyingifa had 17 points for Nigeria.
Even with the loss, it was a record-breaking performance for Nigeria. The team became the first African nation to reach the quarterfinals and win three games in the tournament. They also became the first team to hold the U.S. under 10 points in the first quarter of the World Cup.
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11 a.m.
It’s medal day at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
The U.S. will face Australia for the gold medal on Sunday night. The Americans have won the last two golds with the Opals winning their lone championship in 2006. The U.S. will need to find a way to slow down Liz Cambage, who is leading the tournament in scoring with 27.2 points a game.
Australia had to rally from an eight-point deficit to start the fourth quarter to beat host Spain in the semifinals. The Spaniards will try and win a bronze medal in front of their fans when they face newcomer Belgium. The Belgians have made an impressive showing in their first World Cup.
In the fifth-place game, China will face France and Canada plays China for seventh.
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