The visitors threw everything at the Aussies, and altered their game plan throughout the game in search of any weaknesses in the Jayco Opals artillery. They couldn’t find any, the Aussies countering at every opportunity and extending at every change.
They Jayco Opals smashed Brazil on the glass, reeling in 48 rebounds to just 16 for the visitors, a sign of their size and strength on the block, something that will certainly be a considerable asset come London.
For the Jayco Opals, Cambage finished with 23 points in 18 minutes of floor time, including an astonishing 8-8 shooting display from the field. She also nailed 7-8 free throws and reeled in seven rebounds.
Lauren Jackson was also impressive, dropping 18 points for the game, shooting 53 per cent from the floor. Abby Bishop led all rebounders with 11.
For the Brazilians, Iziane Marques capped off a stellar tour with 18 points, while Erika De Souza added 12 points.
As they have done all series, Brazil came out of the blocks aggressively, the return of key point guard Adriana Pinto to the floor — she was yet to register a minute this trip — helped the visitors stay in the hunt on a steady ship, the Jayco Opals taking a slender 21-18 lead into quarter time.
The second saw the Jayco Opals rocket to an eight point lead following a big three-pointer from the corner by Jenna O'Hea, as the group started to rally around each other.
In response, the Brazilians looked to push the ball to keep their scoreboard ticking over, but the Jayco Opals’ length made converting a trial for the visitors, the Aussie playmakers in Harrower, Richards and even Kath MacLeod late in the term seeing the locals counter with a transition game of their own.
The Aussies held Brazil to just nine points for the quarter while adding 22 of their own to go into half time in front by 43-27
A big third-term from Liz Cambage extended the Jayco Opals’ lead. She managed to get to the foul line early, which started a big scoring run for the big, with Abby Bishop getting in on the action, breaking the hearts of the visitors with a key three pointer mid-way through the period. Kath MacLeod came in late in the quarter and continued to show the coaches she can have an immediate impact on a contest, getting into the lanes and finding teammates in the paint and on the perimeter. The Jayco Opals were out to a 72-46 lead with one quarter to play.
The final term was all Jayco Opals, registering their biggest quarter offensively for the game with a 30-point haul, while holding the visitors to just 12 to close out the game, running away with the big 44 point win and the series sweep.
Jayco Australian Opals 102 (Cambage 23, Jackson 18) defeated Brazil 58 (Marques 18, De Souza 12)
