NOTRE DAME  –  They aren’t toting pick axes and mining helmets, but three University of Notre Dame women’s basketball players are beginning their own sort of global gold rush this weekend.

Junior forward Taya Reimer  (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) and former All-America forward and current WNBA Rookie of the Month Natalie Achonwa  (’14) got a jump on things Thursday as the Pan American Games tipped off in Toronto, Ontario. Reimer started and collected eight points, including a critical basket as the shot clock expired with 59 seconds left, along with two rebounds for Team USA in a 75-69 win over Brazil. Meanwhile, Achonwa earned a rest day and watched as Canada began its Pan Am hosting duties with a 101-38 rout of Venezuela.

Reimer and USA Basketball return to the hardwood at the Ryerson Athletic Centre at 9 p.m. (ET) Friday, taking on the Dominican Republic on the second day of action in Group A. Achonwa is expected to be back in uniform at 6 p.m. (ET) Friday as the host nation faces Argentina in Group B play. Both games can be seen live on ESPN3, with additional coverage possible on ESPN2 from 8-11 p.m. (ET) during that network’s daily highlights show from the Pan Am Games.

Reimer and Team USA close out the preliminary round at 9 p.m. (ET) Saturday against Puerto Rico, after Achonwa and Canada finish up the group stage against Cuba at 6 p.m. (ET). Those games also will be broadcast live on ESPN3, with further highlights possible during the ESPN2 show from 7 p.m.-midnight (ET).

The top two finishers in the two four-team groups at the Pan Am Games advance to Sunday’s medal round semifinals (6 and 9 p.m. ET), with those winners playing Monday for the title (8:30 p.m. ET) and the losers meeting for the bronze medal (4 p.m. ET). All four medal round contests will air live on ESPN3, while the ESPN2 highlight show is slated for 7-10 p.m. (ET) Sunday, as well as 7-11 p.m. (ET) Monday.

Half a world away in Chekhov, Russia, Notre Dame freshman guard Ali Patberg (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North) starts her own chase for gold at 1:15 p.m. (ET) Saturday when the USA Basketball Under-19 National Team opens pool play at the FIBA U19 World Championships against Spain. Team USA also will face China on Sunday and Egypt on Tuesday (both starting at 1:15 p.m. ET) during the preliminary round of the FIBA U19 World Championships, with all three games streamed live on FIBA’s official YouTube channel, youtube.com/FIBA.

The round of 16 and medal round games at the FIBA U19 World Championships will take place July 22-26, with additional coverage (including potential broadcasts on ESPNU) to be announced in the coming days.

Patberg made her international debut with Team USA earlier this week, as the Americans posted a three-game sweep at the Spain U19 International Invitational July 12-14 in Murcia, Spain. Patberg saw action in all three contests, averaging 5.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game for the United States.

For added coverage of the Pan Am Games and FIBA U19 World Championships, visit the official web sites for USA Basketball (usab.com), Canada Basketball (basketball.ca), the Pan Am Games (toronto2015.org) and FIBA (fiba.com) — the latter two sites also will provide live stats for all games in their respective tournaments.

 

2015 Pan Am Games — Schedule/Results

All times Eastern – games played in Toronto, Ontario (Ryerson Athletic Centre)

 

Thursday, July 16 (group play)

USA 75, Brazil 69 (Taya Reimer – 8 pts/2 rebs, started)

Canada 101, Venezuela 38 (Natalie Achonwa – DNP)

 

Friday, July 17 (group play)

6 p.m. – Canada vs. Argentina (ESPN3)

9 p.m. – USA vs. Dominican Republic (ESPN3)

NOTE: ESPN2 highlights show with potential live look-ins from 8-11 p.m. (ET)

 

Saturday, July 18 (group play)

6 p.m. – Canada vs. Cuba (ESPN3)

9 p.m. – USA vs. Puerto Rico (ESPN3)

NOTE: ESPN2 highlights show with potential live look-ins from 7 p.m.-midnight (ET)

 

Sunday, July 19 (medal round semifinals)

6 p.m. – Semifinal #1 (ESPN3)

9 p.m. – Semifinal #2 (ESPN3)

NOTE: ESPN2 highlights show with potential live look-ins from 7-10 p.m. (ET)

 

Monday, July 20 (medal round finals)

4 p.m. – Bronze medal game (ESPN3)

8:30 p.m. – Gold medal game (ESPN3)

NOTE: ESPN2 highlights show with potential live look-ins from 7-11 p.m. (ET)

 

 

2015 FIBA U19 World Championships — Schedule

All times Eastern – USA group games played in Chekhov, Russia (some non-USA games played in Vidnoje, Russia)

 

Saturday, July 18 (group play)

1:15 p.m. – USA vs. Spain (YouTube.com/FIBA)

 

Sunday, July 19 (group play)

1:15 p.m. – USA vs. China (YouTube.com/FIBA)

 

Monday, July 20 (OFF DAY)

 

Tuesday, July 21 (group play)

1:15 p.m. – USA vs. Egypt (YouTube.com/FIBA)

 

Wednesday, July 22 (round of 16)

Thursday, July 23 (OFF DAY)

Friday, July 24 (medal/classification quarterfinals)

Saturday, July 25 (medal/classification semifinals)

Sunday, July 26 (medal/classification finals)

Times, locations and broadcast coverage to be determined following group play