There was little to choose between the two teams but Spanish defensive pressure harvested 13 steals, from which 'La Roja' scored 17 extremely valuable points. Another strong performance from FIBA Europe Young Female Player of the Year, Angela Salvadores, was complemented by a towering display from teammate Laura Quevedo, who top-scored with 23 pts and added 13 rebounds for a player efficiency rating of 27.
In the day's other games, Australia hammered China on the boards, taking 59 rebounds to China's 34 and an easy victory 83-46, the USA won the battle of the Americas, getting off to a flying start by winning the first quarter 28-5, from which their opponents Canada never recovered. The Canadians only shot 16.2% from 2-pt range and could only score a paltry 8 pts in the paint. Finally, Russia were too strong for France, with Raisa Musina shooting a perfect 7/7 for 19 pts, and the hosts will now look forward to what could be an epic clash tomorrow with the Aussies for a place in the final. They will surely have the support of a packed stadium of home fans to help them on their way. The USA meet Spain in the other semi, a fifth consecutive Final-Four appearance for the Spanish.
Quarter-Final Results
- Russia 68 - 48 France
- Australia 83 - 46 China
- Spain 70 - 66 Belgium
- USA 93 - 45 Canada
9-16 Classification Games
- Brazil 84 - 66 Egypt
- Mali 77 - Chinese Taipei 59
- Netherlands 72 - Korea 41
- Serbia 66 - 59 Argentina