Australia Routs Brazil in Women's Basketball Group Phase

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Liz Cambage scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and Australia rallied from a 12-point deficit in the first half and beat host Brazil 84-66 Saturday in women's Olympic basketball group play.

Leilani Mitchell added 18 points and Penny Taylor finished with 17 points as the second-ranked team in the world had to overcome a hot-shooting Iziane Castro and a raucous home crowd.

Castro scored 18 of her 25 points in the first half, and Clarissa Santos added 10. With Castro not missing early, Brazil jumped out to a 26-14 lead at the start of the second quarter. But Australia trailed only 39-35 at halftime, and Mitchell's fast-break layup capped the comeback putting the Aussies ahead to stay at 53-51 with 1:42 left in the third.

Australia quickly built that lead to double digits in cruising to the win over Brazil, which hasn't medaled in the Olympics since a bronze in 2000.

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