U.S. women clinch quarterfinal berth and stretch Olympic win streak to 57 straight

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United States’ Breanna Stewart, left, shoots as Belgium’s Kyara Linskens defends during a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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United States’ Sabrina Ionescu, right, shoots as Belgium’s Kyara Linskens, center, defends in a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, Pool)

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United States’ Brittney Griner, left, shoots as Belgium’s Emma Meesseman defends in a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

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United States’ Brittney Griner, right, and Belgium’s Emma Meesseman reach for a rebound in a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

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United States’ Brittney Griner, left, pushes toward the basket as Belgium’s Emma Meesseman defends during a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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United States’ Brittney Griner, left, and Belgium’s Emma Meesseman reach for a rebound in a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

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Belgium’s Antonia Delaere, right, shoots as United States’ Alyssa Thomas defends during a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Belgium’s Elisa Ramette celebrates from the bench after the scored during a women’s basketball game against the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Belgium’s Elisa Ramette, center, celebrates with teammates from the bench after they scored during a women’s basketball game against the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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United States’ Sabrina Ionescu, left, celebrates as Belgium’s Maxuella Lisowa-Mbaka, right, walks away after the United States defeated Belgium in a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Belgium’s Beckey Massey, left, and United States’ A’ja Wilson grapple for the ball during a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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United States’ Jewell Loyd, top, and Belgium’s Antonia Delaere go after a loose ball during a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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United States’ Brittney Griner, center, shoots as Belgium’s Elisa Ramette and Belgium’s Emma Meesseman defend during a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Belgium’s Antonia Delaere, right, celebrates after making a three-point basket as United States’ Jewell Loyd walks away during a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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United States’ Brittney Griner, left, and United States’ Diana Taurasi walk off the court after the United States defeated Belgium in a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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United States’ Brittney Griner, left, shoots as Belgium’s Emma Meesseman defends during a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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United States’ Brittney Griner (15) is surrounded by teammates, United States’ Kelsey Plum (5), United States’ Diana Taurasi, (12) and United States’ Breanna Stewart (10) after being fouled during a women’s basketball game against Belgium at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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United States’ Breanna Stewart, center, celebrates after scoring as Belgium’s Emma Meesseman, right, runs along during a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

By DOUG FEINBERG

VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France (AP) — The U.S. faced a challenge from Belgium that only a few countries have provided during the Americans’ long Olympic win streak.

The pro-Belgium crowd of just over 25,000 fans were whipped into a frenzy when the Cats cut a double-digit deficit to four in the third quarter. And then, just like that, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson took over for the U.S.

Stewart scored 26 points and Wilson had 23 points and 13 rebounds, helping the U.S. beat Belgium 87-74 on Thursday night. The Americans secured a spot in the Paris quarterfinals with a 57th consecutive victory in Olympic play.

“You just want to go out there and play your best game,” Wilson said. “And I think we did that. I think on the defensive end, it was a great showing and I love when the crowd goes against us. I feel like that is a beautiful thing about our game is playing in those atmospheres and proving people wrong. Wanting to hush the crowd a little bit. So I’m glad we were able to execute that.”

The U.S. was tested by Belgium while extending its record Olympic winning streak that dates to the 1992 Barcelona Games.

This was one of the closer games during the historic run of seven consecutive gold medals. Only three contests have been single-digit victories.

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“They’re just a really good team,” U.S. guard Diana Taurasi said. “A really, really good team. They probably are one of the best teams in the world. I mean it’s great you know, I think that it just shows how much they love basketball in Europe.”

The Americans (2-0) faced a loud, spirited pro-Belgium crowd that made up most of the 25,044 in attendance. The arena is about 30 minutes away from the country’s border.

“Being so close to Belgium and the way that they continue to show support,” Stewart said, “it’s what you want in the Olympics. And, I just said, on TV, it’s like, I hope when we get to LA, we have that, you know, because the amount of pride in representing your country is. It’s like no other.”

The two teams met in a pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in February in Belgium, and the U.S. needed a tip-in from Stewart at the buzzer to come away with that win.

On Thursday, the U.S. built an early 13-point lead behind Stewart, but Belgium cut it to eight at the half and closed to 50-46 in the third quarter. Napheesa Collier capped an 8-1 spurt with five straight points, and her 3 with 2:03 left restored a double-digit advantage for the U.S.

The Americans led 60-53 heading into the fourth and then scored eight of the first 10 points to go up 13. Antonia Delaere tried to keep Belgium in the game with consecutive 3’s, but it wasn’t enough.

“Every Olympics is hard. You know, I can go back to the last five, and there’s always moments that are really hard for us as a team,” Taurasi said. “And, you know, tonight was a really hard moment for us. And you know, we came through.”

Emma Meesseman scored 24 points and Delaere added 16 for Belgium (0-2), which needs to win its final game against Japan to have any shot of advancing to the elimination round. Julie Vanloo had 11.

The U.S. closes out pool play on Sunday against Germany, which also is 2-0.

In other games on Thursday, Germany and France both advanced to the quarterfinals with wins over Japan and Nigeria respectively. Australia topped Canada to keep its hopes of advancing alive.

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Olympic Hightlights

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FILE - South Africa’s Jacques Freitag competes in the men’s high jump of the 2004 Olympic Games, in the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Friday Aug. 20, 2004. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

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FILE - Ilona Maher of USA is tackled by Sharni Williams of Australia in a semifinal of the Rugby World Cup 7’s championship held in Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. The main task for Maher, the breakout social media star on TikTok at the Tokyo Olympics, is winning a medal in Paris. (AP Photo/Halden Krog, File)

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FILE - Jacques Freitag of South Africa waves his national flag after he won the Men’s high jump event at the World Athletics Championships, at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, north of Paris, Monday, Aug. 25, 2003. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, File)

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Sammy Sullivan of USA in action during HSBC rugby sevens series in Singapore, on May 4, 2024. The anthem played as Army officer Sammy Sullivan stood to attention and saluted beside her U.S. rugby teammates before a gold-medal game in Hong Kong against Olympic champion New Zealand. No prizes for guessing where her mind may have drifted to: Paris in July. (AP Photo/Suhaimi Abdullah)

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USA Water Polo Women’s Senior National Team attacker Ryann Neushul, left, trains at Long Beach City College Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, in Long Beach, Calif. Following in the footsteps of two older sisters who won gold with the U.S. women’s water polo team, Ryann Neushul is making her Olympic debut in Paris this summer. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Iranian wrestler Iman Mahdavi, 28, practices at the Lotta Club Seggiano gym, in Pioltello , northern Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

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FILE - Steven van de Velde of the Netherlands competes during the CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup Vienna 2022 men’s semifinal game against Austria at the Red Bull Beach Arena in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. Van de Velde, convicted and imprisoned eight years ago for raping an underage girl in England has qualified for the Paris Olympics. (AP Photo/Florian Schroetter, File)