Croatia hoopster who missed exhibition to get married is game’s high scorer vs. Team USA

Last Saturday, Marija Vrsaljko might have been tossing a bouquet after getting married — instead of tossing in basket after basket against the best women's basketball team in the world.

Many Olympians balance their sport and professional life. The 22-year-old Croatia centre took it up a notch by managing to fit her wedding into the four-week window between the qualifying tournament in Turkey, where she was paramount in helping her country land its first Olympic women's hoops berth, and London 2012. The 6-foot-6 Vrsaljko had to miss a pre-Olympic exhibition against the U.S. last week to get married. On Saturday, she was a force down low, counting a game-high 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting against the four-time defending Olympic champion, who eventually won 81-56.

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"I asked her why she didn't pick a different day," NBC sideline reporter Craig Sager said during a timeout. "She told me, 'I didn't think we were going to make the Olympics so I thought it would be okay."

It also turns out Vrsaljko and her groom are going to be apart during the Games, according to the U.S. broadcaster.

Australian Olympic shooters Lauren Mark and Russell Mark were prevented from being roommates in the Olympic village, although same-sex couples can be accommodated. Sager noted that custom means the basketball-playing bride

"I asked her if her husband was here," said Sager, whose trademark loud suits have been put away during the Games for a standard-issue polo short. "He said when he found out they couldn't stay together in the athletes' village he told her, 'you're on your own.' "

[More: Canadian women's soccer team's long road ahead]

Croatia stayed even with Team USA into the third quarter and were within four points early in the final quarter before the Americans pulled away for their 34th Olympic win in a row. Croatia hanging tough isn't much of a shock. Much of that is due to Vrsaljko, whose birthday also falls on Day 12 of the Games. Surely she and her husband will find some way to celebrate it; that's why there's Skype.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.

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