GOODWILL GAMES : ROUNDUP : Soviets Get Lead of 14, U.S. Wins

If this is the best the competition can offer, the United States women’s basketball team is in good standing for a gold medal at the Goodwill Games in Seattle.

Katrina McClain’s 23 points and 16 rebounds, coupled with a tenacious full-court defense, enabled the United States to rally from a 14-point deficit Wednesday night for an 86-78 victory over the Soviet Union. It was the 38th consecutive international victory for the Americans, who made all 23 of their free throws.

The United States, 2-0 in the round-robin tournament, trailed throughout the first half. Only the inside scoring and rebounding of the 6-foot-2 McClain kept them close. The former Georgia All-American and 1988 Olympian scored 17 of her 23 points and had eight rebounds in the first half.

The Soviets, with Natalia Zasulskaya scoring 16 of her 20 points in the first half, led, 50-36, with 1:06 left until halftime. But the Americans scored the final six points of the half and kept the momentum, outscoring the Soviets, 19-6, over the first eight minutes of the final period.

Five consecutive points by Teresa Edwards, who scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half, gave the Americans their first lead, 59-56, with 12:03 remaining.

In hockey, Tony Amonte and Tim Sweeney each scored twice as the United States routed West Germany, 9-3, to advance to the medal round, in Kennewick, Wash.

The United States is 2-1 in the tournament, while West Germany takes an 0-3 record into the consolation round.

The U.S. attacked West German goalie Josef Heiss, early, and scored three goals in the second period to take control of the game.

In diving, two-time Olympic silver medalist Han Liangde of China won the 3-meter springboard with 650.01 points. American Kent Ferguson, the 1989 World Cup silver medalist, was runner-up at 636.96, and the bronze went to Mark Bradshaw, the U.S. champion in 1- and 3-meter springboard, at 611.76.

In boxing, U.S. fighters lost two controversial decisions, offsetting a dominating performance by 112-pounder Tim Austin in the semifinals, much to the displeasure of the partisan crowd at the Seattle Coliseum.

“Bank robbery,” Tony Gonzales said after dropping a 3-2 decision to Serafim Todorov of Bulgaria at 119 pounds.

“I thought I won every round,” said teammate Rudolph Bradley, who lost, 4-1, to Dzhambulat Mutayev at 112 pounds.

Sergio Reyes of the U.S. beat Vladislav Antonov of the Soviet Union, 3-2, at 119 pounds.

The U.S. volleyball team, coming off a comeback victory over the Soviets on Tuesday night, beat Brazil, 15-11, 15-12, 14-16, 15-10, to move into the medal round.

In yachting, a windless spot on Shilshole Bay turned the Finn class race topsy-turvy.

The Soviet, U.S. and Mexico boats, the three leading legs in that order, sailed into a windless hole on the fourth leg of the race. Canada, New Zealand and Denmark managed to find what little wind there was and finished 1-2-3.

The Soviet, U.S. and Mexico boats ran out of time and didn’t finish.