Brazil Into Finals

Kelly Santos and the Brazilian National Team dominated an overmatched Angola squad 75-58 in Saturday's semifinals of the FIBA Olympics Qualifying Tournament. Brazil led 28-8 after one quarter. Thereafter, the goal became resting for tomorrow's winner-take-all final matchup with Cuba. No Brazilian player saw more htan 24 minutes of action. Santos was limited to 14, in which she scored 10 points and grabbed three rebounds.

Tomorrow's matchup should be a terrific one. Everything is on the line with the winner moving on the Olympics and the loser finished with major international play until the 2010 World Championships.

Brazil has the greater international tradition in women's basketball, but Cuba has really surged the last couple of years. In addition to putting a scare in the U.S. in last year's FIBA Americas Championships, Cuba's claim to fame is beating this same Brazil team in the semifinals of that tournament. Now Brazil will be without star forward Iziane Castro Marques. Can they overcame that to make it to the Olympics? We'll find out tomorrow.