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RIO DE JANEIRO -- U.S. womens water polo coach Adam Krikorian shook his head in disgust after an ugly turnover in the third. He put in five new swimmers after China scored in the fourth, and then clapped his hands at his bench as if trying for a late wake-up call.And it hardly mattered. The United States was in complete control right from the start, never in danger of losing to overmatched China. It turns out winning isnt the only thing for the defending world and Olympic champions.Were more concerned with how we play and trying to be as consistent as possible, Krikorian said after the United States 12-4 victory on Thursday. I dont think I saw that in the second half and when you play every other day, theres no reason to rest. Were getting plenty of rest on our off days and we just got to keep it into a high gear there.The United States improved to 36-2 in 2016 with its 18th straight victory, rolling to titles on three continents before beating Spain 11-4 in its Olympic opener on Tuesday. It has scored in double figures 17 times during its win streak, totaling 231 goals overall and outscoring opponents by an average of seven goals.But captain Maggie Steffens dismissed any notion of complacency as the U.S. tries to become the first country to win consecutive Olympic titles in womens water polo.Each game is a gold-medal game, Steffens said. Each game is an opportunity for us to represent the USA, and thats the motivation.Steffens scored three of her four goals as the United States jumped to a 7-1 lead at the break. But it grew more careless with the ball as the game went along, including the third-quarter turnover during a rare 6-on-4 power play that prompted Krikorians exasperated reaction.We had too many turnovers that game, U.S. attacker Kaleigh Gilchrist said. China capitalized on a few, but they could have capitalized on a lot more, and knowing as we go ahead opponents are going to try to look to do that, so we have to tighten a few things up.The United States only two losses so far this year are to Australia, 5-4 on May 26 in California and 5-4 on May 31 in China. But the Aussie Stingers lost 8-7 to Italy on Thursday, a potentially costly result that could force them into a semifinal matchup with the United States.Australias Rowie Webster tied it at 7 with 2:37 to go, but Roberta Bianconi had a power-play goal for Italy with 34 seconds remaining.I think the game was won and lost in the extra-man goals that they scored and we potentially missed, Webster said.Australia faces winless Brazil on Saturday on the final day of the preliminary round. Italy, which leads Group A with four points, takes on Russia, Spain plays against China, and the United States faces Hungary. The quarterfinals begin Monday.Italys Giulia Gorlero, splashing the water at times in celebration or frustration, had 10 saves in the victory over the Aussies.Our match is very important for us, Golero said through a translator. But thats not enough. ... Our tournament starts in the quarterfinals.Also Thursday, Ekaterina Prokofyeva and Evgeniya Ivanova scored three goals apiece to lead Russia to a 14-7 win against Brazil, and Judith Forca Ariza scored in the fourth to help Spain hold on for an 11-10 victory over Hungary.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenapFake Shoes Black Friday . Michell Burger, a woman who lives on an estate next to Pistorius gated community, said she and her husband were awoken by the screams in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year, when Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp by shooting four times through a door in his bathroom. Discount Shoes Black Friday . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. https://www.cheapshoesblackfriday.com/ . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. China Shoes Black Friday . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Buy Shoes Black Friday . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from.Mike Trout is the sixth player to win two MVP Awards before his 26th birthday; the other five are all Hall of Famers. ' ' '