U.S. Women's Basketball Team Routs Canada

Lisa Leslie scored 16 points and Sheryl Swoopes had 13yesterday, helping the U.S. national women's basketball team remainunbeaten in pre-Olympic competition by rolling to an 80-62 victoryover Canada in Oakland, Calif.

Katrina McLain had 10 rebounds for the United States, whichran its exhibition record to 50-0, including three victories overCanada in the past week.

The national squad has one exhibition remaining -- June 15against Russia. The U.S. Olympic team will be named the next day andthe core of the squad will come from the competition-hardenednational team.

U.S. Coach Tara VanDerveer will lead the Olympic team at theAtlanta Games.

Kelly Boucher's 18 points led Canada, which had problemshandling the U.S. squad's defensive pressure and physical play onthe boards. Dianne Norman added 10 points.

The Canadians missed all 12 of their three-point tries andwere outrebounded 47-37.

Nikki McCray added 11 points and Teresa Edwards had 10 pointsand eight assists for the United States.

The U.S. women went on a 17-4 tear to go up 21-8 midwaythrough the opening period. Swoopes scored nine of her points duringthe burst, including a fast-break layup off a steal and athree-pointer from the baseline.

Under relentless pressure from a man-to-man defense, Canadashot just 32 percent and missed all six of its three-point tries inthe first half.

The United States outrebounded Canada 30-19 in the first halfalone while getting 16 second-chance points to Canada's seven.

The Canadians trailed by 27 points after McCray hit athree-pointer before outscoring the United States 6-1 over the last45 seconds to make it 45-23 at the half. WOMEN'S CYCLING: Rebecca Twigg beat Janie Quigley in the women'spursuit final Saturday night, earning the final spot on thefive-member U.S. women's cycling team. Twigg finished in 3 minutes41.31 seconds, shaving more than four seconds off Quigley's trackrecord. ROWING: Favorite Argentina dominated the Latin American Olympicqualifying regatta for rowing, which ended yesterday in Rio deJaneiro. Eight of Argentina's 11 teams won gold medals and a trip toAtlanta.

Host Brazil placed second, qualifying two teams for theOlympics, and Mexico placed third, qualifying one team.

Cuba's men's doubles team, which finished a fraction of asecond behind the Argentines, also earned a trip to Atlanta.

The two-day competition was held at Rodrigo de Freitas Lake.The Brazilian Olympic Committee spent more than $1 million torefurbish Rio's lakeside facilities, in the hopes of winning its bidto host the 2004 Olympics.

U.S. Women's Basketball Team Routs Canada

Lisa Leslie scored 16 points and Sheryl Swoopes had 13yesterday, helping the U.S. national women's basketball team remainunbeaten in pre-Olympic competition by rolling to an 80-62 victoryover Canada in Oakland, Calif.

Katrina McLain had 10 rebounds for the United States, whichran its exhibition record to 50-0, including three victories overCanada in the past week.

The national squad has one exhibition remaining -- June 15against Russia. The U.S. Olympic team will be named the next day andthe core of the squad will come from the competition-hardenednational team.

U.S. Coach Tara VanDerveer will lead the Olympic team at theAtlanta Games.

Kelly Boucher's 18 points led Canada, which had problemshandling the U.S. squad's defensive pressure and physical play onthe boards. Dianne Norman added 10 points.

The Canadians missed all 12 of their three-point tries andwere outrebounded 47-37.

Nikki McCray added 11 points and Teresa Edwards had 10 pointsand eight assists for the United States.

The U.S. women went on a 17-4 tear to go up 21-8 midwaythrough the opening period. Swoopes scored nine of her points duringthe burst, including a fast-break layup off a steal and athree-pointer from the baseline.

Under relentless pressure from a man-to-man defense, Canadashot just 32 percent and missed all six of its three-point tries inthe first half.

The United States outrebounded Canada 30-19 in the first halfalone while getting 16 second-chance points to Canada's seven.

The Canadians trailed by 27 points after McCray hit athree-pointer before outscoring the United States 6-1 over the last45 seconds to make it 45-23 at the half. WOMEN'S CYCLING: Rebecca Twigg beat Janie Quigley in the women'spursuit final Saturday night, earning the final spot on thefive-member U.S. women's cycling team. Twigg finished in 3 minutes41.31 seconds, shaving more than four seconds off Quigley's trackrecord. ROWING: Favorite Argentina dominated the Latin American Olympicqualifying regatta for rowing, which ended yesterday in Rio deJaneiro. Eight of Argentina's 11 teams won gold medals and a trip toAtlanta.

Host Brazil placed second, qualifying two teams for theOlympics, and Mexico placed third, qualifying one team.

Cuba's men's doubles team, which finished a fraction of asecond behind the Argentines, also earned a trip to Atlanta.

The two-day competition was held at Rodrigo de Freitas Lake.The Brazilian Olympic Committee spent more than $1 million torefurbish Rio's lakeside facilities, in the hopes of winning its bidto host the 2004 Olympics.