After absolutely dominating their first six games in the Olympic basketball tournament, Team USA got their first real scare on Thursday in their semifinal game against Australia.
The Aussies, led by their twin towers (6'8 Elizabeth Cambage, 6'5 Lauren Jackson) upfront, actually led the Americans 47-43 at halftime.
However, the Americans depth and athleticism wore down Australia in the second half, as they pulled away to advance to the gold medal game with an 86-73.
Tamika Catchings of Duncanville, a two-time gold medalist playing in her last Olympics, was part of a deep front-court that wore the taller Australian post players down. She finished with 7 points and 7 rebounds on 2/4 shooting.
Cambage, only 20 years old, had 19 points and 7 rebounds on 8/13 shooting, but a lack of scoring from the Australian perimeter players ended up being their undoing.
With the win, Team USA got a much-needed wake-up call before their gold medal game on Saturday, where they will play the winner of the France/Russia semifinal.
For more coverage of Tamika Catchings and the rest of Team USA, stay tuned to the SB Nation Dallas StoryStream.