U.S. women win basketball gold

U.S. players pose with their basketball gold medals on Saturday. (AFP-Yonhap News)

LONDON (AP) ― The names change, not the results. Just call the U.S. women’s basketball team Olympic champion.

The Americans won their fifth straight gold medal Saturday, routing France 86-50 and putting more distance between themselves and the rest of the world heading to Rio for the 2016 Games.

Candace Parker scored 21 points, including eight straight during the game-changing run in the second quarter as the U.S. won its 41st straight Olympic game since taking bronze medal in 1992.

In that stretch, the Americans have won by nearly 30 points a game. Only one team has stayed within single digits of them, and they’ve lost just once in major international competitions, to Russia in the semifinals of the 2006 world championship.

Teresa Edwards, Dawn Staley, Sheryl Swoopes and Lisa Leslie got the amazing run started and now Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings have continued it.

With young stars Parker, Maya Moore and Tina Charles a big part of the success in London it doesn’t look like the run will end anytime soon.

Tamika Catchings said the Americans “just wanted to keep that legacy going.”

Edwards, a five-time Olympian, said no worry there.

“The legacy is real,” said Edwards, who had a front-row seat Saturday night. “What these kids have been doing is amazing. Without much time to practice. In the middle of the WNBA season. And they look good. It’s like the whole world knows who we are. I’m really proud of them.”

Brazil stuns U.S. in women’s volleyball

LONDON (AP) ― Destinee wasn’t enough.

Brazil denied the United States its first Olympic gold medal in women’s volleyball Saturday in a 3-1 upset that had the Brazilians turning somersaults on the court and some American players sobbing.

It was the first loss for the U.S. at the tournament and the second straight gold medal for Brazil. American star Destinee Hooker, the second-best scorer at the London Olympics, was held to 14 points.

Jaqueline Carvalho had 18 points to help Brazil overcome a disastrous first set and win 11-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-17.

“We felt we lost control in the first set, but we never lost sight of our objectives, and that was to win gold,” Carvalho said. “We knew the U.S. is a great team, that the game would be tough. But we managed to turn it around.”

Norway retains Olympic handball title

LONDON (AP) ― Norway retained its Olympic women’s handball title, winning 26-23 in the final Saturday against a Montenegro team earning a first-ever medal for their country.

Norway began a heavy favorite as the defending Olympic, world and European champion, and ended the London Games among the Scandinavian country’s biggest sports success stories.

Crown Prince Hakkon and Princess Mette-Marit were courtside at the Basketball Arena in Olympic Park to watch the victory.

Germany takes Olympic hockey gold

LONDON (AP) ― Germany defeated the Netherlands 2-1 Saturday to win its second straight Olympic field hockey title and spoil a bid for a Dutch double in the sport.

Jan Philipp Rabente scored twice, getting a goal in the 33rd minute and the game winner with five minutes to go.

Mink van der Weerden tied it for the Dutch in the 53rd minute with his tournament-best eighth goal.