| PLACINGS 1. U.S.S.R. 2. United States 3. Bulgaria 4. Cuba 5. China 6. CANADA 7. Romania 8. Yugoslavia 9. Poland 10. Italy 11. Czechoslovakia 12. Hungary 13. West Germany 14. Japan 15. France 16. Denmark 17. Mexico | CANADIANS Michelle Belanger Beverly Bland (Vancouver, B.C.) Sylvia Blumenfield Chris Critelli (St. Catharines, Ont.) Holly Jackson Angela Johnson (Preston, United Kingdom) Gail Klaver Dori McPhail Elizabeth Silcott (Montreal, Que.) Debbie Steele Sylvia Sweeney (Montreal, Que.) Gail Winston Don McCrae – coach Sally Kemp – team manager |
| POOL A | BUL | CAN | POL | FRA | Record | |||
| Bulgaria | —– | 76-64 | 97-71 | 113-49 | (3-0) | |||
| Canada | 64-76 | —– | 80-52 | 65-58 | (2-1) | |||
| Poland | 71-97 | 52-80 | —– | 71-29 | (1-2) | |||
| France | 49-113 | 58-65 | 29-71 | —– | (0-3) | |||
| POOL B | USA | CHN | HUN | GER | MEX | Record | ||
| United States | —– | 89-55 | 76-66 | 96-60 | 103-51 | (4-0) | ||
| China | 55-89 | —– | 76-66 | 67-62 | 75-57 | (3-1) | ||
| Hungary | 66-76 | 66-76 | —– | 55-51 | 74-62 | (2-2) | ||
| West Germany | 60-96 | 62-67 | 51-55 | —– | 60-52 | (1-3) | ||
| Mexico | 51-103 | 57-75 | 62-74 | 52-60 | —– | (0-4) | ||
| POOL C | SOV | ROM | ITA | JPN | Record | |||
| Soviet Union | —– | 94-50 | 99-70 | 107-55 | (3-0) | |||
| Romania | 50-94 | —– | 63-52 | 89-59 | (2-1) | |||
| Italy | 70-99 | 52-63 | —– | 75-57 | (1-2) | |||
| Japan | 55-107 | 59-89 | 57-75 | —– | (0-3) | |||
| POOL D | CUB | CZE | YUG | DEN | Record | |||
| Cuba | —– | 62-55 | 53-58 | 97-44 | (2-1) | |||
| Czechoslovakia | 55-62 | —– | 73-69 | 85-38 | (2-1) | |||
| Yugoslavia | 58-53 | 69-73 | —– | 66-37 | (2-1) | |||
| Denmark | 44-97 | 38-85 | 37-66 | —– | (0-3) | |||
| CONSOLATION 9-16 | HUN | ITA | GER | JPN | Record | |||
| Hungary | —– | 64-60 | 55-51 | 57-50 | (3-0) | |||
| Italy | 60-64 | —– | 82-38 | 75-57 | (2-1) | |||
| West Germany | 51-55 | 38-82 | —– | 56-50 | (1-2) | |||
| Japan | 50-57 | 57-75 | 50-56 | —– | (0-3) | |||
| CONSOLATION 9-16 | CZE | POL | DEN | FRA | Record | |||
| Czechoslovakia | —– | 82-68 | 85-38 | 71-29 | (3-0) | |||
| Poland | 68-82 | —– | 86-48 | 71-29 | (2-1) | |||
| Denmark | 38-85 | 48-86 | —– | 58-47 | (1-2) | |||
| France | 29-71 | 29-71 | 47-58 | —– | (0-3) | |||
| MEDALS POOL K | BUL | CUB | CAN | YUG | Record | |||
| Bulgaria | —– | 58-60 | 64-76 | 87-77 | (2-1) | |||
| Cuba | 60-58 | —– | 63-62 | 53-58 | (2-1) | |||
| Canada | 76-64 | 62-63 | —– | 52-66 | (1-2) | |||
| Yugoslavia | 77-87 | 58-53 | 66-52 | —– | (1-2) | |||
| MEDALS POOL L | USSR | USA | ROM | CHN | Record | |||
| Soviet Union | —– | 104-78 | 94-50 | 104-67 | (3-0) | |||
| United States | 78-104 | —– | 76-73 | 89-55 | (2-1) | |||
| Romania | 50-94 | 73-76 | —– | 67-55 | (1-2) | |||
| China | 67-104 | 55-89 | 55-67 | —– | (0-3) | |||
| 13-16th | West Germany 55 France 42 | |
| 13-16th | Japan 84 Denmark 40 | |
| 9-12th | Italy 55 Czechoslovakia 53 | |
| 9-12th | Poland 64 Hungary 51 | |
| 5-8th | Canada 67 Romania 57 | |
| 5-8th | China 85 Yugoslavia 74 | |
| Semi | U.S.S.R. 93 Cuba 45 | |
| Semi | United States 87 Bulgaria 84 | |
| 15th | France 43 Denmark 42 | |
| 13th | West Germany 51 Japan 48 | |
| 11th | Czechoslovakia 70 Hungary 57 | |
| 9th | Poland 71 Italy 59 | |
| 7th | Romania 68 Yugoslavia 44 | |
| 5th | China 56 Canada 54 | |
| Bronze | Bulgaria 60 Cuba 49 | |
| Final | U.S.S.R. 107 United States 90 | |
In their opener against host Bulgaria, Canada lost 76-64 after shooting a horrible 9-31 from the line, including 3-15 from the line in the first half. The teams were tied at 32 at the break. The host fans rattled the cages of the Canadians into a raft of second half miscues. Sylvia Sweeney led Canada with 18. Liz Silcott added 13. “We took some bad shots when things were not going,” said Canadian coach Don McCrae. “But Bulgaria is a strong team. This country was third in Olympics in women’s basketball.” Chris Critelli was shaken up with two minutes to play when she ran into a padded bar under the basket. But she shook it off and returned to the game after a brief rest on the bench.
Canada breezed against France 65-58, playing all 12 players.
Prior to the tournament, the Polish team had defeated Canada by one point in the Diana Cup and three times in scrimmages. But the Canadians walked 80-52. “We really rattled them,” said coach Don McCrae. “The girls who played just played super.” Sylvia Sweeney scored 25 and Liz Silcott 22. Bev Bland, Chris Critelli and Holly Jackson played a determined, hard-nosed game, McCrae said.
Canada finished (2-1) in pool and advances to winner’s side semi-final bracket.
Trailing by 19 points at the half, Canada dropped a 63-62 heartbreaker to Cuba after rallying from a 21-point halftime deficit to tie the score midway through the second half by limiting the Cubans to three points during a nine-minute stretch. Winnipeg’s Angie Johnson rallied the squad, while Liz Silcott began attacking the basket. Canada took a 62-60 lead with 11 seconds to play but the Cubans drove down the floor and committed an obvious charge. But the call went the other way and Cuba hit the free throw to steal the win. Matilde Charro led Cuba with 14. Liz Silcott scored 1 for Canada. Sylvia Sweeney added 13 and Angie Johnson 8. “We held them without a point for about 10 minutes,” said Sweeney. “The call was unfair. The Cuban girl should have been called for charging.”
Yugoslavia’s tight collapsing zone and poor Canadian shooting proved the difference in Canada’s 66-52 loss to Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia led 29-25 at the half. Sylvia Sweeney paced Canada with 17 points. Liza Silcott added 9 and Angie Johnson 8.
Canada finishes pool with a (1-2) record, drops to 5th-8th classification round.
In the classifications, Canada thumped Romania 77-67 after leading 42-25 at the half. Sylvia Sweeney paced Canada with 22 points. Liz Silcott added 12, Bev Bland 12 and Angela Johnson 10.
In the fifth-place match, China, making its first excursion into world competition, defeated Canada 56-54. Head coach Don McCrae was upset with the officiating. “We went into the game playing what we do best and that is man-to-man. But if you have two referees from the Eastern bloc countries, they just won’t let you play it.” Canadian centre Sylvia Sweeney quickly picked up four fouls. China shot 19-27 from the line, while Canada was 6-13. Po Hsaio-Sung paced China with 19. Liz Silcott led Canada with 21. Angie Johnson added 10.