When the dust settled in 3×3 play on the women’s side, a new gold medal winner was crowned, with Germany defeating Spain 17-16. Team USA failed to complete their gold medal defense, but came up victorious in the bronze medal match, beating Canada 16-13.
A pair of down-to-the-wire semifinals
Monday began with the semifinal matches. First, it was Spain vs. the United States, followed by Germany vs. Canada. Spain pulled off the upset, beating Team USA 18-16 to advance to the gold medal game.
The Spaniards emerged victorious not only thanks to superior late-game execution, but also because the Americans missed free throws and committed too many fouls, which put Spain in the bonus early.
The game was even at 16 at the end of regulation, resulting in overtime play. With a 2-point shot automatically securing the result, Spain looked for the win. However, Vega Gimeno missed the shot from deep. She got her own rebound, and Sandra Ygueravide scored a 1-point basket to give Spain the lead. With Team USA having possession, they also looked for a game-clinching basket. Rhyne Howard aimed to end things with her 2-point attempt but missed wide. Ygueravide then drove baseline, and Dearica Hamby was called for the foul. The foul seemed soft, but Ygueravide hit her free throw, ending…
