Читать книгу Indiana University Olympians. From Leroy Samse to Lilly King онлайн

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There was no rematch with the Soviet Union, which lost to Yugoslavia 89–84 in the other semifinal. In a rematch with Yugoslavia, Dantley scored eighteen of his thirty points in the first half, and redemption was complete with a 95–74 victory. The United States won an eighth gold medal in nine Olympics.

Dantley, of Notre Dame, was Team USA’s top scorer with a 19.3 average. May was second in scoring at 16.7 and led in rebounding at 6.2. Buckner was the fifth-leading scorer (7.3) and totaled eighteen assists, second to Ford’s fifty-four.

Buckner said he was indifferent to missing out on avenging the 1972 loss to the Soviet Union. That’s not what the Hoosiers, and Americans, were thinking atop the podium with gold medals around their necks and “The Star-Spangled Banner” ringing in their ears.

“It is by far the best feeling,” Buckner said. “Winning a national championship is tremendous. But there’s nothing better than representing your country and have that success. That’s the world stage, and you just showed you stand above all.”