EKATERINBURG, Russia—The U.S. women’s select team lost to CSKA Moscow 75-65 in the final of the FIBA World League tournament Saturday.
Maria Stepanova and Ilona Korstin each scored 16 points for CSKA Moscow.
Janel McCarville led the U.S. with 18 points and nine rebounds. Diana Taurasi, who had 25 points in the semifinal victory over host UMMC Ekaterinburg on Friday, was held to five points in the championship game.
The U.S. beat CSKA Moscow 81-72 in a preliminary game Friday, but this time the Russians pounded the ball inside against a small American squad missing most of its post players from the team that qualified for the Olympics at the FIBA Americas tournament in Chile last month.
“We knew we had to hold them to a lower scoring output and we did that,” said U.S. coach Anne Donovan. “We kept them in the mid-70’s, but we just couldn’t put the ball in the hole very well tonight.”
The Americans shot 34 percent (23-for-66) from the field.
“You have a couple of the best players in the world inside on CSKA and everybody came to play today,” McCarville said.
Ann Wauters added 11 points and 15 rebounds for CSKA Moscow, which held a 40-34 halftime edge before Stepanova took over. She scored six points during an 8-0 run to start the second half and extend the lead to 48-34.
The U.S. responded with an 11-4 run to close within seven, but got no closer.
“It was a very competitive tournament,” Donovan said. “Playing CSKA twice and Ekaterinburg once, we saw some great competition against some great international players that we’ll be seeing on their respective Olympic teams.”
UMMC Ekaterinburg routed China 91-69 in the bronze medal game.
