previous six years.It was a good win, Is

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Such is the juggernaut that is the U.S. womens basketball team that there must have been something terribly wrong on Friday when, horror of horrors, it got off to a slow start against Canada, won by 30 points and scored less than 100.Earlier this week, the women were too good. On Friday, their 81-51 victory was almost a case of, What happened?Such is the supremacy of this team that Canada, one of the more formidable groups in the competition, was actually pretty pumped over the whole thing.We were really happy we were able to keep them under 100 and be the only one that [has done] that, said Natalie Achonwa, who plays for the Indiana Fever as the only Canadian player on an WNBA team.It was the 45th straight Olympic victory for the U.S., which is pursuing its sixth straight gold medal. But given the U.S. womens soccer teams loss to Sweden on Friday, anything is possible, right?Maybe not.The womens hoops team watched part of the soccer game before its contest versus Canada, and U.S. coach Geno Auriemma later related a conversation he once had with the legendary UConn womens soccer coach Len Tsantiris.We were talking once after a game, Auriemma said, and I asked him, So, what happened? And he said, We dominated the game. Dominated. We had 24 shots on goal. They had two. ... We lost, 1-0.Auriemma shook his head.See, I dont have to worry about that, he said. If we dominate a game that bad, were going to win. Thats a crazy game, a crazy game. I dont know how they do it.Even if Auriemmas team doesnt dominate, as it did in the first half, theyre still going to win -- ?and, on most occasions, win big.The Canadians were more physical than usual on defense and disciplined in their offensive sets.Some teams, their style of play isnt going to necessarily allow [100 points], Auriemma said. They maximize every shot clock opportunity, and they run their offense over and over and over.And we shot the ball lousy in the first half.If 48 percent is lousy, however, Canada was far lousier, connecting on just 1 of 10 shots in the second quarter, 6-of-19 in the third and 19-of-58 overall for 33 percent. Cecil Cooper Jersey . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. Paul Molitor Jersey . The nimble-footed quarterback got his wish, dashing through the snow and a weary defence all the way into the NCAA record book. http://www.brewersteamshop.com/Brewers-Hernan-Perez-Kids-Jersey/ . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. Eric Sogard Jersey . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. Christian Yelich Jersey . There was no hesitation from the 40th-ranked Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., who admitted that he cut back on his training sessions over the last few days to conserve energy as the long ATP season finishes next week at the Paris Masters. ATLANTA -- Three-time defending champion John Isner beat Taylor Fritz 7-5, 6-4 on Friday night in an all-American match to advance to the BB&T Atlanta Open semifinals.The 6-foot-10 Isner set up a match with the man who replaced him as the tallest player on the ATP World Tour, 6-foot-11 American teen Reilly Opelka.Hes had a great run, the top-seeded Isner said about Opelka. Im certainly going to try to end it, but its going to be very tough.Isner overpowered Fritz, the 18-year-old seeded eighth, with 20 aces for his 14th straight victory in the hard-court event. The former University of Georgia star has reached the finals five of the previous six years.It was a good win, Isner said. The first set was obviously tight. I was feeling good and feeling strong. In the second set, I had to keep holding serve as well as I could, and I did that.Opelka, 18, topped seventh-seeded Donald Young 6-4, 6-4 in another all-American match to reach his first touur semifinal.ddddddddddddIve been doing a really good job with my movement, winning points on my opponents serve, Opelka said. The way I am serving now, I know I can at least get to a tiebreak. But being able to hit good returns and passing shots is huge.In the other semifinal, second-seeded Nick Kyrgios of Australia will face Japans Yoshihito Nishioka.Kyrgios beat fifth-seeded Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, and Nishioka topped Argentinas Horacio Zeballos 6-4, 6-4 to reach his first tour semifinal.Ive been working on my serve a lot. More percentage, more power, said Nishioka, 20. And before I was very emotional, throwing rackets and getting frustrated. But Ive been more calm since Wimbledon. I think thats why Im winning more now.Kyrgios won in Marseille, France, in February for his lone tour title. ' ' '