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ISTANBUL (AP) — After winning the most lopsided game in U.S. women's basketball history at the world championship, the players posed for photo after photo with the Angola players.
The players from the African nation didn't care that they had just lost by 75 points to the Americans, they just wanted a chance to take pictures with their basketball idols.
"It was definitely something I've never experienced before," said Brittney Griner, who had 15 points for the U.S. in a record 119-44 rout Tuesday night. "They were even talking on the court after I blocked a shot the girl wagged her finger at me and asked me not to do that again."
The victory was the biggest for the Americans in the worlds, surpassing the 70-point rout of Senegal in 1990. The 119 points also tied the most ever for the U.S., matching the total the team had against China in 2006. Still, the points and the final margin never mattered to coach Geno Auriemma or his players.
"I cared that we played as well as we did more than anything else," he said. "We're trying to get ready for the quarterfinals."
The U.S. (3-0) will face the winner of Canada and the Czech Republic on Friday night.
Nneka Ogwumike scored 18 points to lead a balanced U.S. offense that saw five players in double figures and three more with nine points each.
"We got a lot of people on this team who can score," said Ogwumike. "We have confidence in whoever is on the floor."
The Americans took it right to Angola scoring the game's first 12 points. By the time Angola (0-3) had its second basket with 3:36 left in the quarter the lead had ballooned to 24-6 and the rout was on.
The U.S. led 33-11 after one quarter and Maya Moore's three-point play just before the half made it 61-25 as the Americans put on an offensive clinic, shooting 70 percent at the break.
The lead kept growing in the second half and the U.S. broke the team record for margin of victory, surpassing the 70-point win over Senegal in 1990.
Point guard Sue Bird set her own mark, playing in a U.S. record 28th world championship game, breaking a tie with Tamika Catchings, Katie Smith and Delisha Milton-Jones. Bird is playing in a team-record fourth worlds.
African teams are still looking for their first win in a preliminary round game of the world championship. All their wins have come in the classification rounds without a chance for a medal at stake.
These two teams have only met one other time and that was in the 2012 London Olympics, a 90-38 U.S. win.
In other action Tuesday in Group D, Serbia edged China 65-63; Australia routed Belarus 87-45 to win Group C while Cuba beat Korea 73-57 to advance to the qualifying round. Spain won Group A topping the Czech Republic 67-43 and Brazil advanced to the next round beating Japan 79-56. Turkey, which already clinched Group B, beat Mozambique 64-54 and France edged Canada 63-59.
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