Rodez, France----The 2010 USA Women’s U17 World Championship team captured its fourth straight win in the inaugural 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship by powering past Turkey 84-55 Tuesday. The USA is 4-0 overall in pool play, while Turkey falls to 1-3 overall.

The victory secured the USA Group A’s number one seed into the medal round quarterfinals, which begin on July 23. In a press conference following the win, USA head coach Barbara Nelson (Wingate University), was most concerned with the her team’s defense and focus.

“I think probably for all teams you’ve got some fatigue that’s settling in that not only costs you physically, but costs you mentally,” Nelson says. “I don’t think it showed up as much physically for us today as it showed up mentally. We were fortunate that physicality worked for us. We were able to score enough points to win, but it’s certainly not the mental lapses we want to continue to have.”

Jewell Loyd (Lincolnwood, Ill.) and Morgan Tuck (Bolingbrook, Ill.) led the USA with 11 points each. All 12 American players scored for a second consecutive game. Breanna Stewart (North Syracuse, N.Y.) added 10 markers. The USA outrebounded Turkey 44-30.

The U.S. defense suffocated Turkey in the first quarter, holding its opponent to only four points and one-of-17 shooting from the field. Meanwhile, on the offensive side of the ball, the USA benefitted from six scorers and five points each from Stewart and Ariel Massengale (Bolingbrook, Ill.) to take a 21-4 lead after the first period.

“We started off very well,” Tuck says. “The defensive intensity was up, so the offense was better. I think as the game went on, we weren’t as focused. I think we had spurts where we played hard, but we were giving up three-pointers and not communicating.”