HAINING (FIBA Diamond Ball for Women) -Mali matched Australia blow-for-blow for the first 11 minutes of the game but Lauren Jackson took over and fired the Opals to a big victory at the FIBA Diamond Ball for Women.

The Opals, winners over hosts China in their first game and one of the favorites with USA and Russia to win the gold medal at the Olympics, won 112-43 and will now play in the final against the United States or Russia.

Australia coach Jan Stirling spoke about Mali, last year’s FIBA Africa Championship winners, after the game.

“This is their first major international tournament,” she said. “They are at the start of a learning curve but they battled until the end.”

After a Hamchetou Maiga basket tied the contest at 21-21, Jackson struck twice to put the Aussies on their way to a big triumph.

She started the decisive run with a lay-up and then buried a three-pointer and ended up pouring in nine points in the surge.

Djenebou Sissoko ended the drought which lasted almost eight minutes for the Africans with a three-point play to make it 44-24, but the Opals finished the second quarter with a flourish, scoring seven more points – including a three-ball from Emma Randall right before the buzzer.

“I got the ball and just looked up and saw there wasn’t much time so I took the shot,” Randall said.

After outscoring Mali 30-5 in the quarter, they went to the changing rooms on top 51-24 and there was no way back for Mali.

Jackson, one of the leading players in Australia’s title-winning side at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Brazil, finished with a game-high 24 points.

She was nine of 16 from the floor, including three of six from long range.

FIBA