Opals go for gold

Australias Kristi Harrower goes for the basket as Brasil's Janeth Arcain tries to block in the semifinals match. Photo: RAY KENNEDY

So, Michele Timms is an oracle now, too?

By IAN COCKERILL
4:31PM, Sep 30

That's the way it appears after the impish heartbeat of the Australian women's basketball team calculated that the Opals' 11-point preliminary round win over Brazil meant there was ''a lot of padding'' going into yesterday's Olympic semi-final at the Superdome.

The Opals made that padding count, with interest. Stirred by back-court general Kristi Harrower, kept cooking by Lauren Jackson and Sandy Brondello (16 points apiece) and brought to the boil by the fearless Timms, the Australians disposed of the Brazilians 64-52 to advance to tonight's gold medal game against the USA. The hard-nosed Opals won our admiration four years ago in Atlanta when they picked up bronze. Now, in fulfilment of Timms' and coach Tom Maher's dream, they have the chance to plate that admiration with gold.

Judging by the reception Timms received each time she was called off the bench yesterday, the Opals captain isn't alone in hoping to end her career on the highest note of them all. Whatever the outcome of tonight's game, this will be the 35-year-old's last time on court for her country. That she's at her third Olympics at all is testament to her doggedness after she was forced to undergo knee surgery a few months ago. Yesterday the bandage on her right knee seemed irrelevant as she gave Maher 11 minutes of unremitting effort and her teammates just the example they needed to withstand the Brazilian surges.

Afterwards, the emotion in Timms' voice was evident when she said ``there would be no better way to finish than with a gold medal around my neck''.

Playing on their own wellspring of emotion, the Opals starting five of Carla Boyd, Jenny Whittle, Harrower, Jackson and Brondello wasted no time in giving substance to their captain's prophecy. Pressuring the Brazilians into a series of turnovers, they hit the first five baskets of the game to jump out to an 11-0 lead. That's a lot of padding, even when Jackson had her coach nibbling his nails after picking up two fouls. Brazilian coach Antonio Carlos Barbosa was the one with real worries, though. The Placido Domingo lookalike spent much of the first half throwing his arms in the air and bellowing, to no avail.

With the 11-point lead still intact late in the first half, Timms made her first entry into the game. As is her habit she found herself on the floor twice within a minute. On the second occasion she set herself to block Brazilian forward Marta Sobral under the basket. Sobral is roughly twice Timms' size. She hardly even needed to lift her elbow to catch Timms in the throat. But it was Timms who won the charging foul and leapt up as though she was having the time of her life. For someone who so transparently hates being idle on the bench, she was. So much so that she took another charge before half-time.

It should not be thought that this game was won too comfortably. With 10 minutes remaining and Timms on court, Australia's lead had been cut to four. Maher was looking decidedly edgy. Placido was singing a different tune. Enter Timms, who stripped Brazilian guard Adriana Santos mid-court and then hit a three-pointer from the corner on the next play. You could almost hear the air go out of the Brazilians.

Timms made certain of that a minute later when she sprinted forward to pressure guard Claudia Neves at an in-bound. She took a charge, but there was no joy from the referee this time. Undeterred, Timms bounced back up and tracked Neves to half-court, where she got a hand on the ball and then crashed to floor in a tangle for possession. Neves had no hope, Timms tapping the ball to a teammate as she fell. Did the crowd like that? Did they what.

After yesterday's win, Timms was making no predictions about tonight's gold medal game. So we'll make one. If the Americans are to see off the Australian challenge, they will need to leave their hearts and skin on the floor. Just like Timms.