Women’s 3×3 semis
Hoops habitues who took time out to watch the women’s 3×3 semifinal round match between Spain and the United States were treated to a humdinger. Both sides knew exactly what was at stake: A win would mean a spot in the final at the Paris Games. Which was why they played exactly as expected — with every instant mattering, every possession contested, every point hard fought. That the format called for quick reactions served only to heighten the tension between them.
In retrospect, it was, perhaps, only right for the set-to to be decided in overtime. And when the battlesmoke cleared, Spain emerged triumphant. Never mind its underdog status; for all its supposed deficiencies, it proved more resilient and only too ready to capitalize on breaks that ultimately decided the outcome. Meanwhile, the US found itself handicapped by its uneven roster; in the absence of erstwhile 3×3 mainstay Cameron Brink, it could not overcome a relative lack of esprit de corps on both offense and defense.
Given the manner in which the contest unfolded, not a few pundits have lamented the seeming predilections of the referees to make their presence felt, especially at critical junctures. There is cause to argue that the US fell prey to tight officiating, a hurdle under any circumstance, but certainly far more challenging in light of 3×3 rules that value a free throw as much as a field goal inside the arc. It bears noting that the scoring bias becomes even more pronounced after the seventh foul, when two charities are awarded the aggrieved player.
Still, the US could have won were it more accurate from the line. Unfortunately, Dearica Hamby, its leading light, was middling at best. And, as fate would determine, one of her misses led to a foul call that gave Spain two free throws. In a low-scoring affair, the turnaround was fatal. And so the red, white, and blue are relegated to the battle for Bronze, while the red and yellow will go for Gold. Such is sports in general, and the Olympics in particular: The thrill of victory is invariably accompanied by the agony of defeat.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.