Burton & Australia Rally; Opals Finish Group A 5-0

- Australia vs. Belarus Box

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Australia outscored Belarus 22-7 in the fourth quarter, as West Virginia University women’s basketball alum Natalie Burton and the Opals rallied to a 74-66 win over fellow alum Yelena Leuchanka and Belarus on Saturday in the final 2016 Rio Olympics group stage game at the Youth Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

With the victory, Australia finished Group A undefeated at 5-0 and advances to Tuesday’s quarterfinals against either China or Serbia. Belarus completed group play with a 1-4 mark and is eliminated from medal contention.

Belarus led 39-36 at halftime and extended its lead to 59-52 at the end of three quarters. However, the Opals roared back in the final period to finish group play perfect. Liz Cambage paced Australia with 17 points and nine rebounds. Burton snatched three rebounds and dished out an assist in the contest.

Leuchanka, a 2006 Mountaineer graduate, registered 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 33 minutes of action. The two-time Olympian averaged 12.8 points and 9.5 rebounds in five games to pace the Red and Green.

Australia’s quarterfinal matchup on Tuesday, Aug. 16, will be determined after Group B completes play on Sunday. The contest is set for 10 a.m. ET at the Carioca Arena 1 in Rio. A live stream will be provided at NBCOlympics.com.

Group A Standings

Team                Record             Points
Australia*           5-0                    10
France*              3-1                    7
Japan*               2-2                    6
Turkey*              2-2                    6
Belarus             1-4                    6
Brazil                0-4                    4

Tuesday, Aug. 16 Schedule
10:00 a.m. ET (Streaming) - Natalie Burton - Australia - Women's Basketball vs. China/Serbia (Quarterfinal)

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