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The Opals have produced their most impressive performance of the Women's Basketball World Cup, defeating Serbia 69-54 in Sydney.
- Bec Allen leads the Opals' scoring but is forced to leave the game in the final term
- The Opals have a 2-1 win-loss record after three games
- They next face Canada on Monday
But the victory may have come at a cost with paramedics attending to Bec Allen after she was assisted from the court while struggling to breathe in the final minutes.
Allen first left the court with an ankle injury in the final quarter but needed to be assisted off again just minutes later when she reeled out of a contest for the ball, clutching her side.
Allen led all scorers for the Opals with 16 points and was among their best players in their 70-57 loss to France on the opening night of the tournament.
The Opals and Serbia have developed an unlikely rivalry in recent years.
Serbia denied the Opals a shot at a sixth straight Olympic medal with a quarterfinal win at the Rio Games.
They also defeated the Opals on the road to the World Cup after Australia's Steph Talbot was ejected for elbowing Jovona Nogic.
There was plenty of feeling in Sunday's rematch, not least when guard Sami Whitcomb copped an arm to the face in the third quarter and left the court claiming her nose had been broken.
The Opals were determined to get the wood over their rivals this time, lest they slip behind in the race to advance from the competitive Group B.
The Opals' early dominance came down to physical defence as the host nation forced Serbia into five shot-clock violations in the first quarter and kept them to 10 points.
Serbia began to fight back in the second quarter when Yvonne Anderson had her minutes increased and finished the half with 14 points.
Fittingly, Talbot played a significant role in the Australian atonement, restricting Anderson to two second-half points when she was sent to mark her opponent.
With the ball, Talbot hit a three-pointer in the second quarter to give the Opals what was then a game-high lead and she finished with 10 points.
Serbia found another strike weapon in Sasa Cado (12 points) but the Opals had their own avenues to basket in Allen, Marianna Tolo and Whitcomb, who hit a three-pointer less than 30 seconds after coming back on from her hit to the nose.
The Opals now have a 2-1 win-loss record.
They are all but certain to dodge a quarterfinal meeting with the United States if they win their final two group games against Canada and Japan.
The Opals' first win of the tournament was a 118-58 triumph over Mali in their second game.
AAP