Aussies Stop Brazil to Reach Final

The youngster Lauren Jackson and the gimpy veteran Michele Timms carried Australia into the women’s basketball gold-medal game against the U.S. with a 64-52 victory over Brazil today in front of 14,698 at the SuperDome, with former swimming champion Dawn Fraser leading athletes in the “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” cheer in the stands.

Then the soft-spoken but bold Jackson--given to calling the Americans “the Yanks”--said Australia can win the gold.

“We know we can beat the U.S.,” said Jackson, 19, who had 16 points and nine rebounds.

“That’s Lauren’s sort of cockiness, isn’t it?” Timms said. “That’s Lauren to a ‘T.’

Australia--which won its first bronze in 1996--can do no worse than silver Saturday.

Australia jumped to an 11-0 lead behind the shooting of guard Sandy Brondello, who also scored 16 points, but Brazil cut the lead to four midway through the second half behind Janeth Arcain, who plays for the Houston Comets and scored 21 points.

But Australia went on an 8-0 run, igniting the crowd when Timms--the 35-year-old Phoenix Mercury star who has played sparingly because of recent knee surgery--knocked down a three-point shot, followed quickly by another by Jackson.