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U.S. women beat Brazil for Pan Am basketball gold

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — The U.S. men's basketball team fell to 0-2 at the Pan American Games on Thursday after a 75-67 loss to Panama.

The U.S. players — all from colleges, including several stars such as Georgetown's Roy Hibbert and Michigan State's Drew Neitzel — could not overcome their sloppiness or the physical play of Uruguay in an 81-72 loss late Wednesday night, and looked just as tentative Thursday night.

"They were very cohesive. Uruguay really played like a veteran team," said U.S. coach Jay Wright of Villanova. "They knew their personnel. We've got to learn that about ourselves and how we're going to make plays down the stretch."

As often is the case, the Americans struggled to hit three-pointers. They were 3 for 21 from long range, which was decisive, even though Uruguay made only seven three-pointers.

Uruguay also shot 66 percent on two-pointers.

"We've still got a lot of things to work on," said Indiana's D.J. White. "I give them all the credit; they came out and played good. We didn't play to the best of our capabilities.

"We just have to go out there and play; play together and do what Coach says. So, I don't think us being together only for two weeks is an excuse. It's basketball, and we just have to … play better."

● Brazil gave the United States a 5-0 lesson in women's soccer, but the U.S. men turned the tables on Brazil and qualified for the Beijing Olympics by taking the water polo championship.

Tournament high scorer Marta, the FIFA Player of the Year, and striker Cristiane each scored two goals in the soccer match. Daniela Alves added another to lead Brazil to its second consecutive gold medal at the hemisphere-wide games.

In the pool, team captain Tony Azevedo led a 9-2 romp. Azevedo scored four goals and got help from Jesse Smith, Jeff Powers, Ryan Bailey, Ronald Beaubein and Daniel Hewko as the United States dominated the Brazilians.

The victory meant both U.S. water polo squads made it to the 2008 Olympics. The world champion women won the gold earlier in the Pan Ams.

INDIANAPOLIS — Carl Edwards said his injured right hand will not slow him down in the No. 99 car at Indianapolis this weekend.

Edwards arrived in town Thursday wearing a protective brace around his dislocated right thumb, and he plans to wear something similar Sunday to avoid re-injury during the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

Edwards, fifth in Nextel Cup points and leading the Busch series, was injured Sunday at a dirt-track race when he hit the back of a car that spun out in front of him. The collision caused a 10-car pileup, and Edwards' right thumb wound up stuck in the steering wheel spokes.

MONTE CARLO, Monaco — Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius — who wants to race in the 400 meters at the Olympics — will work with the IAAF to ensure his prosthetic racing legs do not give him an unfair advantage.

Pistorius will undergo a full biometrical analysis with independent experts at the German Sport University in Cologne, the International Association of Athletics Federations said Thursday.

Pistorius set world records in the 100, 200 and 400 in Paralympic events with curved, carbon-fiber prosthetic legs. To reach the 2008 Olympics, Pistorius would have to run the 400 in 46.3 seconds before the July 2008 qualifying deadline. His personal best is 46.56.

● Jolanda Ceplak, the 800-meter indoor world record-holder, has been suspended after testing positive for the blood-booster EPO.