The Australian women’s basketball team outclassed Serbia to qualify for the semi-finals at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Wednesday.

Playing at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, the Opals, ranked third, beat world No. 10 Serbia 87-65. Alanna Smith led the charge for Australia and scored 22 points while George Cayla and Jade Melbourne also contributed with 18 points each.

Serbia, Olympic bronze medallists at Rio 2016, were no match for Australia despite Jovana Nogic, who scored 17 points, trying her best in this game.

Australia, the five-time Olympic medallists, will face either Nigeria or the USA in the semi-finals on August 9.

The Opals will be playing in the last four of the women’s basketball event at the Summer Games for the first time since London 2012. On that occasion, they lost to eventual winners USA in the semi-finals before clinching the bronze against Russia.

The Serbian basketball team was the first to get on the scoreboard with Jovana Nogic scoring a two-pointer but Steph Talbot got the Opals on the scoreboard shortly after to make it 2-2.

Australia took a 10-6 lead with Alanna Smith netting consecutive two-pointers. With Serbia closing in in the final minutes of the first quarter, George Cayla proved decisive and helped the Opals take a 26-19 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Australia stretched the lead to 31-19 in the early exchanges of the second quarter and despite Serbia’s best efforts to try to close down the gap, they led 40-25 five minutes before half-time.

Jade Melbourne grabbed a couple of two-pointers while Cayla made two free throws which allowed the Opals to take a 48-32 lead at half-time.

Serbia were no match for Australia in the third quarter as the Opals kicked into a higher gear. Smith made it 50-35 and stretched the lead to 64-39 in a matter of minutes.

Just two minutes before the end of the quarter, Jade Melbourne made it 72-45 with the help of two free throws but Serbia took three points in the final seconds to close the quarter trailing Australia 72-45.

Australia continued to maintain their superiority in the first half of the final quarter and stopped any advances from the Serbian side. Protecting a 22-point lead in the final minutes, the Opals were hardly put in a place of discomfort.

In the end, they held on to win 85-67 and make it to the last four of the Paris 2024 Olympics basketball tournament.