Basketball On The Internet.

THE Opals have jumped right back into the winner’s circle, beating Brazil 66-63 in a World Championship warm-up in Istanbul.

In their second game of the TBF Zafer Cup after a setback to Canada, the Aussies came back hard after trailing 39-45 midway through the third period, triple-Olympian and 2006 World Champion forward Belinda Snell leading the onslaught.

Snelly, whose halfcourt shot at the 2012 London Games to force overtime against France ranked only just behind Liz Cambage’s record-setting first-ever Olympic dunk by a woman, had eight of her team-leading 17 points in an 11-3 run to close the quarter.

Then it was Cambage’s turn, scoring the Opals’ first six points of the final term en route an 11-point, 10-rebound, three-assist and three-block return.

It was Snelly again who locked away the game with two match-clinching free throws in the final seconds.

As Lithuania has steadily become the arch international rival for our Boomers, Brazil has filled much the same role for the Opals, making any win over them doubly rewarding.

Coming on the back of a rare loss to Canada, it was an even better performance for Australia.

COMING UP LATER: For SA readers, full round-up of today’s SA State League award-winners, with congratulations to Alex Starling and Amy Lewis for their respective wins in the Woollacott and Halls Medals..