Australia's Jackson sets scoring record in basketball

2 Aug 2012, 8:23 am   -   Source: Reuters
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Australia's Lauren Jackson (L) gets past Brazil's Adriana Pinto during the women's preliminary round Group B basketball match at the Basketball Arena during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 1, 2012. REUTERS/Sergio Perez

Australia's Lauren Jackson (L) gets past Brazil's Adriana Pinto during the women's preliminary round Group B basketball match at the Basketball Arena during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 1, 2012. REUTERS/Sergio Perez

Australian women's basketball captain Lauren Jackson became the leading Olympics points scorer when she led the Opals to a 67-61 victory over Brazil on Wednesday.

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Australian women's basketball captain Lauren Jackson became the leading Olympics points scorer when she led the Opals to a 67-61 victory over Brazil on Wednesday.

Jackson, a 6-foot-4 (1.95 m) power forward, top-scored for Australia with 18 points to take her Games career total to 497, surpassing American Lisa Leslie as the all-time Games women's scoring leader.

"I didn't know about that," the 31-year-old Jackson, who has collected three Olympic silver medals, said about her new place in the record book. "I haven't even thought about it. I'm old."

Leslie had held the standard with 488 points from four Olympics starting from the 1996 Games in Atlanta. Jackson is competing in her fourth Games since first appearing at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in her home country.

"She's an iconic basketballer for Australia," Australian coach Carrie Graf said.

"This Olympics in particular, for her to be flag bearer I think spoke volumes for who she is as an Australian athlete and sportsperson.

"In terms of women's basketball, she's iconic in our country and helps put the Opals on the map. I think it's fitting that at this Olympics as flag bearer she gets a record like that."

The victory lifted Australia's record to 2-1 in the Group B preliminary round. Brazil fell to 0-3.

(Editing by Justin Palmer)

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