Although the squads were in a tight battle over the first three quarters, Spain never held a lead of more than one point in the game. Additionally, the U.S. outscored Spain in every quarter of the game. Midway through the second, the U.S. quickly erased a slim 23-22 Spanish advantage with back-to-back buckets from Serio and Brian Bell. Bell was the fourth and final U.S. player to finish in double figures with 10.
The squad was one of the first U.S. teams to arrive into Paris, hoping some extra practice would help them with their quest to become the first wheelchair basketball program in Paralympic history to win three straight gold medals. However, even Jenifer admitted that getting to play a team other than themselves was a relief.
“It’s different,” Jenifer said with a laugh. “You do a lot of scrimmaging against each other, and we beat up each other quite a bit. So, it’s kind of nice to be able to play somebody different.”
“It was awesome to knock off the rust and get back out there on the court.”
Another relief came in the form of the crowd. Although the frenzied crowd of 12,682 fans appeared to favor Spain slightly, Jenifer noted that it was simply nice to hear some noise again after playing in an empty arena during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
“That’s something that you miss,” Jenifer admitted. “I remember being in Tokyo at the free-throw and hearing crickets. Now it’s the complete opposite. You’re getting booed, you’re getting cheered. But, I think that’s something that fuels your adrenaline and play.
“I think that it’s awesome to have fans back in the stands. I’m excited.”
Despite the win, Serio pointed out that the team can always find something to correct going into their next game on Aug. 31 against the Netherlands. Most notably, Spain’s potent offense sped out after the U.S.’s makes to beat the U.S. defenders to the paint on the other side of the court.
“They did an awesome job, even after we scored, at sending two or three guys to back-pick our guys, and how they moved in transition. Their height was really tall. We’re a faster team, but if they get in the paint and miss one or two shots, they get the ball right back and put it up and we can’t contest.
“Moving forward, we’re going to make that adjustment, watch some film and hopefully execute that during our game against the Dutch in two days.”
Brendan Rourke is a Digital Media Assistant for the USOPC. Previously, he spent three seasons writing for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers.
