U.S. Basketball Loses to Brazil

Once again, there will be no Pan American Games gold medal for the United States in men’s basketball.

Brazil won Tuesday night’s semifinal, pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 92-80 victory over the American collegians at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The United States has not won the Pan Ams since 1983 -- when the team included Michael Jordan, Chris Mullin and Wayman Tisdale. Brazil outscored the Americans, 28-17, in the final period, including a 13-0 run in which Marcelo scored seven points.

The U.S. led by as many as 11 points in the third quarter, but Brazil answered with a 20-8 spurt to take its first lead. The lead went back and forth before Brazil put the game away.

“We did everything we wanted to do, we just didn’t finish plays at the end,” Coach Tom Izzo of Michigan State said.

Emeka Okafor of Connecticut led the Americans with 18 points. Chuck Hayes of Kentucky had 15 points and 13 rebounds.

The U.S. baseball team was held to four hits by Nicaragua’s Olman Rostran and lost, 3-0, breaking a 25-game win streak this summer.

Stunningly, victory was there for the U.S. men’s foil squad, which scored the first team win in 32 years over the Cubans at the Pan Ams.

The fencers trailed, 40-30, going into the last match, which Dan Kellner of Warren, N.J., won, 15-4.

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Tennis

Wimbledon champion Roger Federer won the last four games to cap an impressive comeback against Gaston Gaudio in the first round of the Canada Masters at Montreal.

The third-seeded Federer was trailing, 5-3, in the last set before coming back to win, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero had little trouble getting by qualifier Cyril Saulnier, 6-4, 6-4.

Top-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland was eliminated in the first round, losing to Silvija Talaja of Croatia, 7-6 (4), 6-2, in the Nordea Nordic Light Open at Espoo, Finland.

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Golf

Irene Cho of La Habra and Jane Park of Oak Valley were tied with Sarah Huarte of Shingle Springs after the rain-delayed first round of the U.S. Women’s Amateur championship at Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne, Pa.

Cho, 18, who will be a sophomore at USC, and Park, 16, who will be a sophomore at Beaumont High, shot a two-under-par 69 to join Huarte atop the leaderboard. The second stroke-play round began Tuesday, but only 60 of the 156 players had started before more rain postponed the round until today.

Erica Blasberg of Corona, who will be a sophomore at Arizona in the fall, is a stroke behind the leaders. Aree Song, the low amateur at the U.S. Women’s Open last month, is two behind in a tie for seventh. Michelle Wie of Hawaii shot 73 and is tied for 13th.

Two-time PGA champion Nick Price withdrew from the PGA Championship for unspecified family reasons and will be replaced in next week’s tournament in Rochester, N.Y., by Billy Mayfair.

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WNBA

Tina Thompson and Janeth Arcain combined for 34 points to lead the Comets to a 74-47 victory over the Sacramento Monarchs before 7,493 at Houston.

The Comets, who have won 10 of their last 12 games, improved to 16-9 and moved within 1 1/2 games of the first-place Sparks in the Western Conference. Edna Campbell and Demya Walker each had nine points for the Monarchs (14-13).

Crystal Robinson scored 18 points and the New York Liberty held San Antonio to one point over the final 5:29 in a 69-60 victory over the Silver Stars before 12,491 at New York.... Swin Cash scored 17 of her 20 points in the first half to lead the Detroit Shock to a 78-61 victory over the Connecticut Sun before 6,151 at Uncasville, Conn.

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Miscellany

World-record holder Tim Montgomery struggled in his comeback, finishing next to last in 10.37 seconds in a 100-meter race won by fellow American Justin Gatlin in Stockholm.

Gatlin won in 10.15.

University of Washington defensive linemen Josh Miller and Junior Coffin will sit out the season because of injuries.