BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS / DAY 14 : U.S. Beats Cuba, 88-74, Settles for Bronze : Women’s basketball: Team pulls away from 44-44 tie after a halftime scolding by Grentz.

The U.S. women thought they would be playing Cuba in the final.

They also thought they would have an easier time.

Wiser now but sadder, the Americans got a loud pep talk at halftime from Coach Theresa Grentz, Immaculata College’s power forward of the 1970s, and rallied to win, 88-74, Friday, thereby earning the basketball bronze medal.

“As lousy as we may have felt the last 48 hours,” Grentz said, “it would have been even worse to come out of here without a piece of hardware.”

The Commonwealth of Independent States, which had shocked the Americans two days ago, then won the gold medal, defeating China, 76-66.

The Americans were two-time defending gold medalists. Seven of them had been on one of those teams, and shooting guard Teresa Edwards had been on both, encouraging them to believe they could go down as the best women’s basketball squad in history.

In addition, Grentz hoped that an attacking, high-scoring style might win backing for a new U.S. league.

Grentz talked all week about the burden her players were shouldering.

When they shot 41% in their upset loss, the question was: Had they shouldered too much?

“I think that was more Coach Grentz’s thoughts,” Edwards said. “My thoughts were, ‘let’s win a gold medal.’ That thought about being exciting and all that--we can’t go out and try to be spectacular, make this pass so the crowd will go, ‘Oooh, ahhh.’ ”

There were indications last week, even while the American women still were looking good in the battle, that they were losing the war.

An NBC source said ratings for the women’s games were low. Grentz complained when the network decided not to televise the women’s final in its entirety.

“If we could just have a lot of those decision-makers view it as basketball, not women’s basketball . . .” Grentz said.

“I think we played an enjoyable style of basketball the last two weeks. I think you (the press) enjoyed it. It may not have turned out the way we wanted it to. But there are more young girls out there who want to play, who want to dream. Hopefully, they’ll have the opportunity.”

Friday’s game against the athletic Cubans was fast-paced, but Grentz, grinding her molars at a 44-44 halftime tie, tore into her players during the intermission.

“It was rough,” center Tammy Jackson said. “She made us feel this low (reaching for her knee) to get us to play this high (reaching over her head).”

Cuba grabbed a 57-52 lead early in the second half, but the U.S. women kept digging. They forced 10 turnovers in the last 10 minutes and came out of the competition with something.

“It’s still a scar,” said backup point guard Teresa Weatherspoon, smiling. “It’s going to be there for a long time, but I’ll remember that the ladies didn’t die.

“We won the bronze medal, and we’re going to be happy with it. I don’t think we’ll say we’re satisfied, but we’re happy.”

That’s not a bad way to go.

Women’s Basketball Medalists

GOLD: CIS

SILVER: China

BRONZE: United States