KOR vs. NOR
Korea Keeps Composure and Remains Undefeated
Women's Handball Pool B Preliminaries
The score was close the entire match, but when the Koreans got down, they never lost their composureor their determination not be upset. Holding to form, Korea took the last step necessary to guarantee their place in the medal round, by defeating Norway, 25-21, in the smallest margin of victory at the 1996 Olympic Games. In the process, they earned the top seed in Pool B. Korea finished pool play at 3-0, while Norway was 2-1.
The match was played in front of a noisy, partisan crowd which included throngs of white-shirted Norwegians utilizing a full ensemble of band equipment and cowbells, while the Koreans banged their yellow, pencil-shaped noisemakers.
Non-stop chanting filled the hall as both teams posted nearly identical shooting percentages throughout the contest. Centerback LIM O-Kyeong helped lead the Korean attack with a 9-for-12 shooting performance, while leftback OH Seong-Ok had five assists for Korea.
Topping the list for Norway was leftback Kjersti GRINI with seven goals. She also added three steals and two assists, while pivot Hege KVITSAND helped in the defensive effort by also collecting three steals.
In goal, Korea's MOON Hyang-Ja had 11 saves, including several key stops which helped build rallies, while Heidi TJUGUM also had 11 for the Norwegians.
The score was tied at 8-8 with 8:18 remaining, but Korea pulled away just before the half to notch a 12-10 advantage. It continued to build upon its lead in the second stanza through fast breaks, owning a six-point advantage after a 5-1 run at the beginning of the half.
Final Score: KOR 25, NOR 21.
"We tried some different defensive systems to see how they worked," said Norwegian coach Marit BREIVIK on his team's failed attempt to unseat the two-time reigning Olympic champions. "Their defense stressed our offense. We didn't take care of our shot opportunities and committed too many turnovers."
USA vs. CHN
ZHAI, WEI, Help China Grab First Win
A 8-0 run midway through the first half put away the United States and gave the People's Republic of China its first handball victory, 31-21, Tuesday afternoon at the Georgia World Congress Center. The match was the final contest of the round-robin play at the 1996 Olympic Games and solidifies the brackets for the playoffs, putting China (1-2) into the fifth-place and the U.S. (0-3) into the seventh-place matches.
The brunt of the Chinese offensive production came at the hands of pivot ZHAI Chao and leftback SHI Wei who had 11 and eight goals, respectively. ZHAI was able to convert 73.3 percent of her attempts and also collected four assists and two steals in a spectacular all-around performance. Leading the U.S. efforts was leftwing Chryssandra HIRES, who tallied six goals.
The U.S. buckled under the defensive pressure of the Chinese, whose keeper, YU Geli recorded nine saves (14 for the day) and a 47.4 save percentage in the first half. China would shoot 69.6 percent en route to pinning a 16-11 half-time advantage on the U.S.
The U.S. had an opportunity to get back into the match, when an expulsion with 13 minutes remaining gave them a two-man advantage for two minutes. But China still managed to outscore the U.S. down the stretch and capture the win.
Final Score: CHN 31, USA 21.
DEN vs. HUN
Denmark Still in Hunt For Gold
Denmark maintained its gold-medal aspirations with a 27-22 victory over Hungary in a matchup of two of the top teams in the Olympic competition. The Danes scored twice within :30 seconds of the intermission to gain a 14-12 halftime advantage which they never looked back from. The victory moved them to 3-0 in its final test prior to the medal rounds on Tuesday morning at the Georgia World Congress Center.
With the victory, Denmark captured sole possession of first place in the Pool A standings, guaranteeing them the top spot entering Thursday's semifinals. Hungary fell to 2-1 and will be the Pool A No. 2 seed in the medal rounds. Both team's next opponent will be determined by the conclusion of the day.
Rightback Camilla ANDERSEN helped Denmark to the victory behind her seven goals and three assists, while leftback Anja Jul ANDERSEN, the tournament's passing leader, matched her average by dishing off five assists, and goalie Susanne LAURITSEN batted away 10 saves. For Hungary, the tournament's leading scorer leftback Eszter MATEFI, collected seven goals and two assists.
Hungary played Denmark tight in a evenly-matched first half as goalie Aniko MEKSZ stopped eight of 24 shots. But a close contest at halftime was broken up when Denmark went on a 5-0 run over a 7-minute stretch late in the second stanza. Yet, turnovers were the story for Hungary, which gave away the ball 10 times in the first half and 16 in the second, twice as many as Denmark.
Final Score: DEN 27, HUN 22.
"First and foremost, it's an incredibly strong defense that wins the match for us," reflected the Danish goalkeeper LAURITSEN. "We might have a little trouble on offense, but when they come down the court to attack, they ran into an iron wall. Our good defense gave us confidence. As the match progressed, security and confidence beamed from the players."
GER vs. ANG
Germany Finishes Pool Play With Win
A strong finish to its pool play brought Germany (1-2) its first tournament victory, a 27-12 demolition over winless Angola (0-3) on Tuesday morning at the Georgia World Congress Center. Both teams will play a consolation game on Thursday to end the tournament.
A 17-6 second-half tally brought the match to conclusion, as Germany dominated the second frame of play. The score was close at intermission, favoring Germany, 10-6. Angola scored first after the break and closed the gap to three goals, but the Germans responded by scoring the next four goals to take complete control of the match.
Centerback Grit JURACK and pivot Marlies WAELZER led the attack with five goals for the winners, while pivot Elisa WEBBA had five for Angola along with two blocks. WAELZER also added four assists and two steals, while JURACK also had two assists. Both teams shot below 50.0 percent in the first half, but Germany recovered in the second to shoot 54.0 for the match. Christine LINDEMANN had 14 saves to lead the stingy German defense, while Elisa PERES tallied 10 for Angola.
Angola's 27 turnovers against only three assists helped to do themselves in. Germany had less than half as many turnovers (12) as Angola and nearly six times as many assists (17).
Final Score: GER 27, ANG 12.
"We want to play USA," said German goalkeeper LINDEMANN on her team's possible opponent in the fifth-place match. "Then the spectators will come out, and that creates a good feeling for the players. It's also good for handball in USA to play in a match that will be good."
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