Sao Paulo, Brazil • April 22 - May 4, 1963

The United States women's team, despite losing for the first time in Pan American Games competition, compiled a 6-1 mark and earned its third gold medal in as many tries at the 1963 Pan American Games held in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The USA team, coached by John Head of the Nashville Business College (TN), featured six members of the 1963 AAU national champion Nashville Business College team, three players from the Wayland Baptist College (TX) who were also members of the Hutcherson Flying Queens (1963 AAU national champion runner-up) team and three players from other college teams. The 1963 team also featured the return of 5'11' Rita Horky and 5'11' Joan Crawford, the top two U.S. scorers in the 1959 Pan American Games.

With just a total of four teams entered, Brazil, Canada, Chile and the United States, the competition schedule was set up for a double round-robin tournament with the top two teams advancing to the gold medal game.

Opening on April 22, the U.S. disposed of Chile 72-44 as Crawford scored 14 points to pace the American attack. Two days later, Crawford poured in 17 points and U.S. teammates Sandra Fiete and Doris Rogers each added 12 points in the 79-39 USA victory.

Facing host Brazil, the U.S. rallied from a 35-28 halftime deficit to record a 70-59 win. Crawford again led the U.S. offense scoring 25 points, and Rogers and Betty Scott added 17 and 15 points respectively.

The second U.S.-Chile matchup proved little different then the first as the Americans cruised to a 57-37 win behind 12 points from Horky. Limiting Canada to just eight first half points and leading 38-8 at halftime, the U.S. sailed to a 68-21 pasting of Canada as Horky scored 14.

Standing 5-0 and facing host Brazil for the second time, the U.S. women were jolted as a crowd reported to number about 30,000 cheered their home team to a 65-48 victory, ending the USA Pan American winning streak at 21 games. Crawford scored 17 in the loss for the USA.

Facing Brazil one day later and for the third time in the competition, it was the USA's defense that paved the way to the win and the gold medal. The Brazilians failed to score until the game was 11 minutes old, and the U.S. went on to take a 25-14 lead at halftime. Continuing to apply the defense pressure, the U.S., behind Crawford's 22 points and 18 points from Scott, cruised to a 59-43 win.

Crawford, who was named MVP of the 1963 AAU Tournament, led the U.S. offense, averaging 16.3 ppg., while 1963 AAU all-American Doris Rogers added 9.6 ppg.

1963 USA WOMEN'S PAN AMERICAN GAMES TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS