Paris 2024: Serbia withhold late rally to tame Puerto Rico

Serbia - Puerto Rico 58-55

Serbia claimed the opening victory at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. They survived a late challenge from the Latin American side to drive to a hard-fought win at the end. Dragana Stankovic (195-C-1995) scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the winners.
It was not a close battle in the first half. Serbia dominated at both ends of the floor to secure a 23-15 lead ten minutes into the game. They boosted the margin to 17 points heading into the second half. Serbia led by as many as 19 points 55-36 late in the third term. But Puerto Rico refused to surrender. They limited Serbia to just 3 points in the fourth stanza cutting the deficit to just two points late in regulation. However Dragana Stankovic nailed a free throw with 5 seconds remaining to seal the deal for Serbia. Jovana Nogic (185-G-1997, college: Providence) produced 14 points for the European team. Trinity San Antonio (180-G-2003) knocked down 11 points, while Pamela Rosado (165-PG-1986) and Mya Hollingshed (190-F-1999, college: Colorado) had 8 points each in the loss.