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SUPPORTERS of Australia's Opals at the FIBA Women's World Cup will need to be out and in full voice tomorrow when they face the hugely-followed Chinese team in a semi final after tonight turning away Belgium 86-69 at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena, Cayla George adding the finishing touches to a strong victory.

George finished with a game-high 19 points and equal game-high nine rebounds with Sara Blicavs, who started the match in inspirational touch.

Steph Talbot matched an Opals World Cup record with nine assists, tying her with Penny Taylor's mark set at the 2014 championship, and Sami Whitcomb dished seven as the Opals found their bigs in dominant form.

Australia's 48-23 boards disparity was huge as Marianna Tolo and Blicavs owned the paint after a shaky start with Whitcomb twice turning the ball over in the first two minutes.

But a strong drive to the basket by Blicavs gave Australia the lead at 10-8 and that continued to balloon out to 17-8 on a 13-0 Opals run.

Tolo and Blicavs set the tone and were followed by Lauren Jackson scoring seven of her tournament-best 12 points in the first quarter as the Opals blew the lead out to double digits.

By halftime, the Opals were relatively secure, ahead 52-37, Belgium in a deep hole and playing without injured 2018 World Cup All Star Five stud Emma Meesseman.

The chances of a boilover looked as remote as Bec Allen (rib injury) returning after playing 2:25 in the first quarter without registering a stat. 

But a scoring drought followed the interval, including a further 24-second shot-clock violation forced by the Opals' tenacious defence. It was at the 7:00-minute mark George, in off the bench, struck gold.

Its opponent took until 5:07 to open its account as the margin continued to grow, Australia ahead 72-48 with 10 minutes left in Belgium's championship.

An 8-0 start to the last by the Belgians, made it interesting. But George then asserted herself, scoring several strong baskets and feeding Jackson as the buffer blew back out to 83-62, Australia into a semi final against China.

France hung tough for as long as it could but the long-range shooting of Huang Sijing, all-round presence of Li Meng and the antics of guard Li Yuan - who flopped as often as she scored - put them into mothballs.

Serbia took it to USA, trailing 33-38 late in the second quarter. But all it took was a few turnovers, an error here, a bad shot there and by halftime and into the third, the Americans unleashed a 20-0 run for a 58-33 bulge and this was well and truly over.

Canada did the job on Puerto Rico but now will have its hands well-and-truly full against the USA in their semi final.

QUARTER-FINALS:

Canada 79 d Puerto Rico 60; USA 88 d Serbia 55; China 85 d France 71; AUSTRALIAN OPALS 86 (George 19, Tolo 13, Blicavs, Jackson 12; Blicavs, George 9 rebs; Talbot 9 assts) d BELGIUM 69 (Allemand 15, Ben Abdelkader, Linskens 13, Vanloo 12; Linskens 5 rebs; Allemand 7 assts). 

SEMI FINALS: 5pm, USA v Canada; 7.30, Australia v China