SAITAMA (Japan) -- Wednesday's U.S. women’s basketball team was not interested in drama. They played with an all-business approach, and didn't allow Australia to think about an upset in the 79-55 Olympic quarterfinal victory.The Aussies beat the Americans last month in Las Vegas. They made a stunning second-half comeback and won what seemed like a major victory. The game was interesting because of the fact that some U.S. women appeared a bit disoriented during their Japanese pool games.It wasn't.Breanna Stewart had the best Olympic game of her life, scoring 20 points of her 23 in the first period to help the Americans jump out to a big lead. They never faltered. Now, the Olympic winning streak has reached 53 games. Next up is Serbia, which defeated China in Friday's semifinals.Breanna Stewart scored 20 points of her 23 in the first period as Team USA jumped out to a big lead and beat Australia 79-55. AP Photo/Eric GayStewart was on the court the whole time, doing everything: running the floor, midrange pull-ups and running the floor. She made 7 of 8 shots in the first half and gave out two assists. In the first 20 minutes she was everywhere, including on defense where she had five assists, two steals, and a brutal blocked shot.Stewart stated, "Knowing that this was the knockout stage meant we wanted to do our best." "I'm trying to make the right plays, I'm doing my job and doing my job. Today, the shots went in."This was exactly what the team needed. It set the tone for the next round and made it clear that it was time to be aggressive. Stewart's defensive energy fed her team, who were very active on defense and completely unnerved by the Opals.Sandy Brondello, Australia coach and also coach of the Phoenix Mercury, said that "it was a very focused American team today." "We like to say that we have Diana Tarausi, and you don’t. The U.S. can claim that we have Breanna Stewart, but you don't.ResultsAustralia was the No. 1 team in the world when it entered the tournament. The No. 2 ranked team in the world, behind Team USA was turned over 15 times in the first quarter alone. Seven steals by the U.S. in the first period brought the lead to 21 points. This broke the Aussies' spirit.Britney Griner, USA's center, got to work in the second half. Australia was without star center Liz Cambage. She withdrew in July due to anxiety after an incident against Nigeria. Griner had the advantage.Griner scored 10 out of her 15 points during the third quarter, making sure that there wasn't a second-half rally similar to the one in the previous meeting.Overall, the Olympics was a strong performance for the team, with veterans Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and nine assists bringing them to two wins away from their fifth record gold medals.Dawn Staley, U.S. coach, stated that she believed the team came out and played inspiring basketball. "We played with an amazing desire to progress. "I was proud of the effort of everyone and of the performance."
