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Istanbul • Tina Charles scored 18 points and Maya Moore added 16 to help the U.S. beat Australia 82-70 on Saturday night in the semifinals of the women's world championship.
The U.S. will face Spain in the gold-medal game Sunday. Spain beat host Turkey 66-56 for its first trip to the championship game. The Spanish team won a bronze medal at the 2010 worlds.
The Americans had to work hard for this victory — as is usually the case when these powers in women's basketball meet. The U.S. won its first four games of the tournament by an average of almost 48 points but couldn't put pesky Australia away until the fourth quarter.
Up 61-55 early in the fourth, the U.S. went on a 15-2 run, with Charles scoring six points in the burst to seal the outcome.
Erin Phillips and former Utah point guard Leilani Mitchell kept Australia in the game in the third quarter. Mitchell had all nine of her points in the period while Phillips had seven of her 19 as the Aussie trailed 61-52 heading to the fourth.
The Aussies have come far with a gold medal in the 2006 worlds and three silver medals and a bronze at the Olympics, but they have yet to beat the U.S. in a major international competition, including an 0-10 mark at the worlds. Australia avoided playing the U.S. in 2006 when Russia beat the Americans in the semifinals.
After failing to win a medal at the 2010 worlds, Australia will face host Turkey in the third place game.
A night after the U.S. shot a team record 71 percent in a win over France, the Americans had a tougher time against Australia. U.S. star Brittney Griner picked up two fouls in six minutes and was benched for most of the first half.