Big Syl Helps Team USA to Title

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Sylvia Fowles grabbed a team high 12 rebounds and dominated on the defensive end to lead the USA Women’s National Team (3-0) as they handed host UMMC Ekaterinburg (2-1) a 78-63 defeat on its home court to win its third game in as many days and claim the Ekaterinburg International Invitational championship Sunday evening.

Geno Auriemma about Sylvia Fowley’s rebound and defense?

"Sylvia’s capable of having an impact in the game every time down the floor at both ends of the floor. That’s the biggest team we’ve played since we’ve come together and we needed every one of Sylvia’s rebounds and we needed her to do exactly what she did to today. I hope she builds on this because this was great performance by her."

Q & A WITH BIG SYL ABOUT THE WIN

The team got off to a good start and you were really rebounding in the game.
"We got off to good start but my rebounding had a lot to do with coach challenging me. Yesterday I played like six minutes and didn’t get a rebound so he didn’t play me in the second half so it was a challenge to go out there and do well for my team. But at the same time everybody was on the same page and we wanted to get it done from the get go."

What about the 17-0 run that finished off the second quarter?
"That was a good feeling only because the United States always gets dished that it can’t get it done and everything doesn’t always work in our favor. But just for us to be on the same page and for us to utilize our abilities to do what we can do, I enjoyed every moment on it."

The U.S. was short on post players today with Candace being injured and Asjha being required to play for Ekaterinburg. Were you concerned about that and can you talk about playing their bigs, was it a physical contest?
"It was bo
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th physical and mentally tough too because they try to out think you. For us not having all of our post players was kind of a concern, but at the same time coach already had installed in our minds that it wasn’t a concern or a worry, that if we went out and got it done then we wouldn’t have to worry about our lack of post players."

Were you focusing today on just rebounding?
"Yes I was focusing today on rebounding. If shots would have gone up and we would have made it, then that would have been a plus, but my main focus was to crash the boards every time hard and get boards for my team; and play defense as well."

How rewarding was it to come away with the championship after 10 days of training?
"It’s good, it says a lot about our coaching staff and also our players and for everyone to suck up their role and not BS about their minutes or anything like that. We just came together and we wanted to get it done and doing it in 10 days says a lot about trying to come together as a team."
 

Posted by Bill Martin