CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Army News Service) -- After losing to China last year in overtime during the Conseil International du Sport Militaire championship, coach Nate Johnson was determined that Team USA would stay on the ball.
"Don't leave the basketball," he implored the squad. "If you see the ball across half court, you attack it."
Team USA listened. They forced 25 turnovers and lost the ball to China just seven times during the third day of action in the CISM Women's Basketball Championship here in Paige Fieldhouse on Wednesday, July 27.
Offensively, Team USA dominated the boards with 35 rebounds compared to China's nine. If a shot missed the net, USA's squad kept after it, scoring 26 second-chance points.
USA's Spc. Vanessa Lamison from Fort Bliss, Texas, was the game's leading scorer with 16 points. Seaman Shaniqua Bennet from Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay in Baltimore was second with nine points and six steals.
2nd Lt. Danielle Salley, who just graduated from the Army's Officer Candidate School last month, had eight points and 10 rebounds.
"It feels good," Salley said about the 73-56 win over China, despite getting elbowed above the eye while fighting for a rebound with China's Liting Zang. "I ended up coming down with that rebound though," she added.
Salley's mother, Debra Mitchell Ward from Milwaukee, was there watching. She expressed concern about the elbow to the eye, but added that her daughter's "a big girl," and she was proud of her.
"She's my biggest fan," Salley said of her mother. Her aunt Patricia Rush from Wisconsin was also there cheering. This was the first time her family has been able to see her play in a while, since most of the games are so far from home. Last year's CISM basketball championship was held in France.
Salley was on the USA squad last year that lost to China and has remained friends with some of the Chinese players. In fact, Zang is her Facebook friend.
The win over China tied USA for first place with Brazil in this year's tournament after the home team beat Canada on day one, 82-25, and France on day two, 85-53.
Brazil and USA remain the only two undefeated teams after the third day of this five-day round-robin championship tournament. The USA will play Brazil on Friday.
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