The USA Women’s Series team picked up its second title of the year, topping Lithuania 20-17 in the finals on Tuesday afternoon in Katowice, Poland. The USA won the Pristina, Kosovo stop earlier this summer.
The United States led wire to wire in its finals win over Lithuania, leading by as many as seven points during the game. The U.S. outscored the Lithuanians 8-3 in the game’s first three minutes, and went on a 6-1 run to jump out to 14-7 lead with 3:40 remaining. Lithuania hit a 2-pointer with 20 seconds left to pull the score to 20-17, but the U.S. held on to take the three-point win. Linnae Harper led the USA with 10 points while Cierra Burdick had a team-best six rebounds.
In the semifinals, Harper paced the USA with seven points in its 18-14 win over Gyor. The Americans took their first lead, 5-4, on a Caroline Littlefield free throw with 6:40 remaining and never looked back. A Harper 2-pointer with 4:27 remaining gave the U.S. a 10-7 advantage. A free throw from Harper and basket from Burdick with just over two minutes left gave the USA and unsurmountable 15-9 lead.
The U.S. never trailed in their 13-9 quarterfinal win over Italy, though the game was within a possession nearly the entire game. Camille Zimmerman, who led the team in scoring with six points, hit a crucial shot with 14 seconds left to put the U.S. up two points, and then made a pair of free throws to give the U.S. a four-point win. Burdick pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds.
In pool play, the USA opened with an 18-8 win over Ukraine before falling to Spain 17-16 in overtime to split its pool play games. Against Ukraine, Harper led the U.S. in scoring with eight points, including two 2-pointers, and Burdick tallied a team-best nine boards. In their overtime loss to Spain, Harper, Burdick and Zimmerman all scored five points.
Burdick was named the Katowice stop Most Valuable Player.
The United States will return to FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series competition in Melilla, Spain from Aug. 18-19, and it can be watched live on YouTube.com/FIBA3x3.