I wanted to keep it coming in a timely manner. I assure you guys this will get written up. After all, the USA had to escape by the skin of their teeth again!

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Day 3

GER (2-0) - 21 26 24 15 - 86
GBR (0-2) - 21 17 23 20 - 81

This Germany team is more Blitzkrieg than Luftwaffe, but von Stryker and Romanoren continued their dominance inside in this tournament. Combined, they provided 45 points and 25 rebounds for their team. But this didn't mean that Team UK laid down: they simply put their hopes on their big fox. Jake Turner scored 16 points in the first half. He finished with 25 and Slade added in 15.

In the second half, Germany was able to keep two steps ahead of Team UK by leaning on their veteran experience. The still capable Karl Gruber and Erich Haber continued the steady stream with mid-range jumpers and hook shots. Team UK had an unlikely hero in veteran Stripes Quinn who was able to get the team outside shots when the inside game started to fail. He finished with 7 assists.

But the Germans were just too tough in the end as Fritz Jansen iced the game with crucial three-pointers in the final frame. Romanoren led Germany with 28 points, von Stryker had a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds, and Klaus Korber had 8 assists.

CHN (0-3) - 17 20 18 15 - 70
CAN (1-2) - 22 18 22 19 - 79

For the first time in what seemed like ages, Canada got out to a decent-size lead and stayed there. Rocky Caracal paced the offense with his mid-range jumpers and Bobby Baylor paced the inside game, going around the slower Todd Hu often. Though, to their credit, China managed to keep pace with Tuu Ning having a very strong first half with four three-pointers.

But Canada managed to stay just ahead of the inspired Chinese team. Connor Caracal, Rocky's little brother, had a great third quarter with four buckets and Francois Martineau assisted with two three-pointers and three assists. The game of course, wasn't finally decided until Baylor corraled a mid-range miss from Song Yihua and time expired.

Ning led China with 18 points. Eva Wong had 6 assists and Cho Song-Hwa had 11 rebounds to lead the team. The Caracal brothers combined for 30 points. Bobby Baylor had 10 points and 10 rebounds and Yves Carbonneau had 6 assists.

RUS (1-2) - 18 26 26 22 - 92
USA (3-0) - 13 20 33 27 - 93

It was an ugly, contentious first half. Russia quickly set the tone with hard-nosed aggressive defense and even though Team USA was restrained enough to not throw punches, but there were traded words and death stares between both sides, especially with Lemond Conkale and Vladimir Andreiovich Zhidkov. It came to a head late in the second after Zhidkov slammed an alley oop in Conkale's face. Conkale got in the tiger's face and the two traded barbs before Valencia Zeraus and Sasha Ivanovich seperated the two.

A horrid-shooting first quarter put the US behind the eight ball and although they picked it up in the second quarter, Russia used three-pointers from Kasa Yalenchka and Iver Drake to put them up by 11 at the half. The home crowd supporters were somewhat subdued, but if they could see Zeraus closer, she had a scowl that was fiercer than any she had used in years.

Inside the locker rooms, Team USA coach Morgan Roosevelt noticed that and gave Valencia the go-ahead to speak. She then proceeded to light into everyone, telling each and every player on the floor the mistakes they had made in no uncertain terms. She then turned the criticism on herself and told everyone the mistakes she had made in turn. She concluded the speech this way:

"We are Americans, damn it, and that crowd out there supporting us is expecting our very best! We will NOT blow this game. Do you hear me?!"

"Yes!"

"I can't hear you!"

"Yes!"

"Now get your paws in here!! One two three!!!!"

"USA!!!"

And they didn't go back on their pledge. The second-half saw Team USA with more intensity and focus. Brad Pullman and Crysatl Davis were especially inspired by the speech; the bald eagle went on a hot streak finding moves inside and Crystal nailed long-range jumpers and threes. Russia tried holding them off, getting a four-point lead into the fourth, but by then, Team USA appeared to have control.

Russia still used their power and what finesse they had to keep ahead, with Ivanovich finding a second wind with two second chance baskets and veteran Olya Gala getting inside for a couple of layups. The score was 92-89 with 30 seconds to go.

Valencia took the ball down and slowed things up to get set to let the clock tick down. Zack Tate set up in the middle, with Adam Tevela, Davis and Conkale roving. She naturally looked at Davis first, who had 12 points in the game, but she was double-teamed. Tate and Tevela were partially covered too. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hopper breaking free and passed to her left. The rabbit caught the ball, and stepped behind the three-point line. Zhidkov came at him to block. He let the shot fly. The tiger's arm came down on his shoulder. A referee's whistle blew.

Swish.

Bedlam.

Buck yowled and swung his fist in celebration as his teammates joined him for high fives. But knowing he had a job to do, he calmly sank the free throw to put Team USA in the lead with eight seconds left.

Russia inbounded the ball after the timeout, but when Yalenchka tried to pass inside to Timur Tomlin, Davis got in the ball's path and poked it away. The ball bounced away as the seconds ticked off and the horn sounded. She ran over and gave Buck a huge high-five and the two were joined by Valencia who hugged them both. By the skin of their teeth, Team USA had another victory.