Jackson fires Australia to winning start

The Australian WNBA star Suzy Batkovic, foreground, and teammate Lauren Jackson celebrate the win over Belarus.

BEIJING // The WNBA star Lauren Jackson led gold medal favourites Australia to an 83-64 win over Belarus with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Australia has lost the last two Olympic finals to the USA but comes into this 2008 Games as world champions. A close 71-67 loss to the Americans in the FIBA Diamond Ball tournament in Hainang last week - the first match between the teams since the Athens 2004 final - highlighted how close the competition could be in Beijing. After shooting at just 38 per cent in the first half, Jackson lifted in the third quarter with seven unanswered points. The Opals were tentative in the opening stages, but built a 19-12 lead at quarter time and expanded that to 44-28 at the half. "Our girls were challenged by the fact we have never played Belarus," the Australia coach Jan Stirling said. "For us it was a significant game and I think our recent loss in the Diamond Ball against the USA helped prepare us for today. "We're just chipping away at a number of things - we've got quite a few things to work on, but I thought we executed pretty well," Stirling said. The Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd was among the crowd at the Olympic Basketball Stadium, which has a capacity of 18,000, for the tournament's opening match. Suzy Batkovic, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds, said the match against the first-time Olympian Belorussians helped clear "my jitterbugs." "We have so much more to give. Our chances are extremely high at these Olympics - we've come here to take home gold," she said. In the following match, Angela Marino scored 19 points and Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe hit two late three-pointers to help New Zealand beat Mali 76-72. Trailing 69-66 with two minutes left, McMeeken-Ruscoe tied the game with a three-pointer from the wing. After the teams traded baskets she hit another shot from the corner that gave New Zealand a 74-71 advantage. After a free throw by Nagnouma Coulibaly cut Mali's deficit to two with 53.9 seconds left, they had one last chance, but Hamchetou Maiga was called for travelling with four seconds remaining. Marino hit two free throws to seal the win. Maiga scored 18 points and Djenebou Sissoko added 15 for Mali, who qualified for their first Olympics by winning the African championship, knocking off longtime champion Senegal. Lisa Wallburton had 13 points before fouling out and Jillian Harmon added 12 for New Zealand.

*AP