Taking control of the game in the third quarter, the 2018 USA Basketball Women’s World Cup Team (5-0) defeated Belgium (3-2) 93-77 in the semifinals of the 2018 FIBA World Cup on Saturday evening at Santiago Martin Arena in San Cristobal de La Laguna, Canary Islands.

The win puts the USA in the gold medal game at 3 p.m. EDT on Sept. 30 (ESPN) against the winner of tonight’s second semifinal between Spain (4-1) and Australia (4-0).

Including 5-of-10 shooting from 3-point and 7-of-7 shooting from the free throw line, Diana Taurasi(Phoenix Mercury) led the USA with 26 points. Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm) added 20 points and seven rebounds, and Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury) rounded out the USA’s double-digit scorers with 16 points, while shooting 6-of-6 from the free throw line.

The game had the makings of a close contest from the start, with three lead changes and three tied scores in the first period alone. Each team built a five-point lead during the quarter, but it was Belgium that finished the period leading 26-21, helped by 13 points from Emma Meesseman of the WNBA Washington Mystics.

The USA opened the second period with 3-pointers from Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm) and Taurasi, but the score was knotted four more times from there. At 38-38 with 20.6 seconds on the clocks, Taurasi sank two free throws, followed by one free throw from Belgium, and the USA had a tiny, 40-39 margin at halftime.

Despite three straight 3s from Taurasi to start the period, the USA again was tied at 52-52 with 5:22 on the clock. Things changed from there, however. The combination of Elena Delle Donne (Washington Mystics), Loyd, Stewart and Taurasi raced to 21 more points, while the USA gave up just five to Belgium, and at the end of the third period, the USA led 73-57.

Each team scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to bring the final score to 93-77.

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