KLATOVY (FIBA U17 World Championship for Women) - Larissa Carneiro chose the perfect time to have her highest scoring performance in a major tournament as Brazil overcame the threat posed by Egypt at the FIBA U17 World Championship for Women.

Stepping out for the first time outside of the Americas, Carneiro set the tone for the Brazilians with a sparkling 16 points as they collected an 87-47 triumph in Klatovy.

"We entered this game really focused," said the Parana native.

"We were surprised how good Egypt played at the beginning, but we really kept the level of focus and intensity we needed.

"We are just very grateful to be here at the FIBA World Championship for Women and it's certainly a good feeling and hugely exciting for us to play against all these different styles of basketball.

"For the whole team, the goal is always go for gold and that is what we always aim for.

"As for me individually, I will simply try to do my best every day and maintain a high level of intensity in each game - just like the team."

Brazilian head coach Julio Cesar Patricio declared his players as the most talented generation for some time in recent months.

After making such a bold statement, he was relieved to negotiate a tricky opening fixture and get a win under his belt against the newcomers.

"We were anxious before this first game, but after a really good game we can now feel more focused on the Championship generally," he said.

"Egypt actually gave us some real trouble at the beginning of the game and I feel that each year, African basketball is improving a bit.

"Maybe we will see both Egypt and Mali show how the standard is improving in this tournament."

As for the remainder of the competition, the play-caller echoed the words of Carneiro.

"Our potential is linked to how strong we are mentally and the level of intensity that we bring to each game," he reiterated.

"We have to not only play in an intense manner during each game, but we also need to do it with a smile on our faces."

And, there was nobody with a broader smile on opening day than Carneiro, after claiming a career best in her beloved national team colours.

FIBA