THIRD PAN AMERICAN GAMES -- 1959

Chicago, Illinois, USA - August 27 - September 7, 1959

While the Pan American Games were held in the United States for the first time, the 1959 United States Pan American Games women's basketball team rolled to an unblemished 8-0 record and in the process captured the Pan American Games gold medal in Chicago, Illinois. En route to capturing the gold, the USA's winning streak in Pan American Games competition was extended to 16 games.

1959 USA Women's Pan American Games Team 1959 USA RESULTS (8-0) USA 45 Brazil 43 USA 70 Mexico 36 USA 55 Chile 38 USA 53 Canada 39 USA 64 Brazil 48 USA 64 Mexico 32 USA 66 Chile 41 USA 65 Canada 28 1959 PAN AM GAMES FINAL STANDINGS 1. United States (8-0) 2. Brazil (6-2) 3. Chile (4-4) 4. Canada (1-7) 5. Mexico (1-7)

The 1959 USA team trained for only 10 days prior to the start of the Pan American Games competition and the team itself mainly consisted of players from head coach Harley Redin's Wayland Baptist College (TX) team that won the 1959 AAU National Championship playing as the Hutcherson Flying Queens. Eight players from the Wayland/ Hutcherson squad were members of the '59 Pan Am team, two were from Iowa Wesleyan, one was from the Nashville Business College (TN), one from the AAU Ray Smith Ford (MO) team, and one from Clarendon J. C. (TX).

Coach Redin and his squad opened the competition against Brazil and led 20-19 at half. Brazil took the lead in the second half and only after a strong USA rally late in the game, was the U.S. able to squeeze out a 45-43 win. 6'0' center Joan Crawford and 5'4' guard Joyce Kite paced the U.S. scoring with 11 and 10 points, respectively. The U.S. women had little problem with Mexico, earning a 70-36 victory as Crawford again led the U.S. accounting for 16 points. Behind Crawford's 12 points and 11 more from 5'11' Rita Horky, Chile was beaten 55-38 by the USA, and Canada fell to the Americans 53-39 as Horky scored 21 points.

A rematch with Brazil was this time won easily by the U.S., 64-48, as Crawford was credited with 15 points and 5'10' Carolyn Miller added 11 points in the victory. The U.S. doubled Mexico's score the second time around, winning 64-32 as Horky tallied 14 points, then, behind Horky's 17 points, the Americans knocked off Chile 66-41. With 11 players scoring, the U.S. kept its record perfect and earned its second Pan American Games gold medal by defeating Canada 65-28. 5'10' Patsy Neal led the U.S. charge with 10 points.

Horky and Crawford led the USA in scoring, averaging 11.9 ppg. and 11.4 ppg., respectively, and finished ranked as the competition's fourth and fifth leading scorers overall.

1959 USA Women's Pan American Games Cumulative Statistics