Next face Serbia with a quarter-finals berth on the line
Against Mali, the Opals came within one point of their highest-ever score at a World Cup game, posted against Malaysia in 1979 when Lauren Jackson’s mother was on the team. But the Malians were prone to fouling and the hosts punished them from the stripe. Eight separate players sunk free-throws, contributing 20 points to the Aussie total.Australia managed to shoot with only 26.1% accuracy from the field against France but improved that stat to 56, with seven Opals scoring more than 10 points.In defence, they used their size advantage to frazzle Mali, who never rediscovered their early mojo.
Jackson and Tolo each sunk a pair of free-throws shortly after being injected into the contest but once the Opals had built an unassailable lead, the 41-year-old was given an early mark.Young gun Ezi Magbegor stood up with 15 points after a quiet showing against France, while Cayla George and Tess Madgen went into entertainer mode with four triples each.