US women beat Czechs for gold at basketball worlds

KARLOVY VARY, Czech Republic (AP) - Tamika Catchings couldn't stop smiling as she hoisted the world championship trophy over her head.

The lone blemish on her remarkable U.S. women's basketball career was now a memory.

Catchings, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi redeemed their third place finish at the 2006 worlds, leading the Americans to an 89-69 victory over the host Czech Republic on Sunday night.

“Sue, Tamika and Diana were the only ones that were there,” coach Geno Auriemma said. “We were determined to make sure that didn't happen again. They were the ones who were going to win it for us and make that happen.”

It was one sweet win for the three veterans, who shared an embrace after the game.

“There's definitely a feeling of satisfaction, redemption,” Bird said. “It was tough losing in Brazil, it was very difficult. We were definitely on a mission. It started in the Olympics, that's what fueled us then, but this being the same tournament we lost in, we wanted to get that gold back.”

Angel McCoughtry scored 18 points, Taurasi added 16 and Bird had 11 for the Americans, who have won the world championship eight times - the previous time being Catchings' first in 2002.

“This one was definitely sweeter,” she said. “Knowing what we went through in 2006, to erase that made this special.”

It was tough to tell the Czechs had lost considering the way they celebrated. They danced and sprayed champagne after accepting their silver medals, to the delight of the sold-out crowd of 6,024 that included President Vaclav Klaus.

“This medal is a great success for us,” coach Lubor Blazek said through a translator. “We're happy that we managed to return Czech women's basketball to this level.”

This was the first time the Czechs advanced to the medal round since dissolving from Slovakia in 1993. Czechoslovakia won two silver medals and four bronzes from 1953-1975.

“Before this tournament, no one would think we'd be among the best four teams,” tournament MVP Hana Horakova said. “Definitely not speaking about world championship medals. This is the celebration it deserves and definitely will go on tonight.”

Spain also was elated after it beat Belarus 77-68 for the bronze, earning its first medal at the women's worlds, but it was the Czechs who gave their fans plenty to cheer about.

The Americans built a 40-28 advantage with 2:09 left in the first half, but the Czechs scored the final seven points to get within five at the break. It was the closest any team had been to the U.S. at the half during the entire tournament.

A layup by Tereza Peckova cut the deficit to 40-37, but that was as close as the Czechs got.

“We couldn't stop them in the first half and they couldn't stop us,” Auriemma said. “We knew we'd make a run eventually.”

Taurasi hit a 3-pointer and Bird a layup to make it an eight-point game. A jumper by Petra Kulichova cut it to six before Taurasi's 3-pointer ignited a 10-0 run. Back-to-back steals by Bird and Catchings led to lay-ins and forced the Czechs to call timeout trailing 55-39.

The U.S. led by 22 at the end of the third quarter and the Czechs could only get within 17 in the fourth.

Kulichova scored 14 points and Horakova 12 for the Czechs, who were running on fumes after beating defending champion Australia in the quarterfinals and topping Belarus in overtime to reach the gold-medal game. Eva Viteckova, who was averaging a team-best 17.6 points, had seven.

“I can't tell you how impressed I am with their coach and his style of play,” Auriemma said. “That was the best team we played in the entire tournament, without question. We're fortunate to be world champions.

“My players worked really hard to do it here, against the Czech national team in front of an unbelievable crowd. It makes this win even more rewarding because of who we had to beat and where we had to beat them.”