​BERLIN – As they gathered in the center circle of Berlin Arena, looks of relief all around, the United States players did not appear to be a team that had just advanced in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. The U.S. will play in a quarterfinal in search of a record-tying fifth straight gold medal, but only after a sudden reality check that kept its 55-52 victory over Italy in doubt until the final frantic seconds.The 32nd consecutive U.S. victory suddenly revealed an unexpected sense of vulnerability. Not since 1967 had the U.S. scored fewer points in a victory in this tournament, a 42-38 win over Australia on the way to a last-place finish. The 55 points became the fewest scored by the U.S. in any World Cup or World Championship game since a 68-51 loss to France in 1971.“We shot 10-for-35 in the paint, 29%,” said U.S. coach Kara Lawson. “Layup, after layup after layup, from any number of players. And you know, the percentages say we won’t shoot 29% in the paint again. My takeaway is, even if we do, we have enough to win and we’re tough enough to win either way.”Buy Fever ticketsThe U.S. will face 0-2 Czechia at 2:45 p.m. EST on Monday after avoiding what would have been one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament.  Italy, ranked 14th by FIBA, came into the game having just won a game for the first time since 1994 and has never finished higher than fourth place. In the last four gold-medal winning tournaments, the U.S. raced through the Group Phase with average margins of victory no less than 19.3 points and by as many as 42.3.All that history meant very little on an evening when flamboyant coach Andrea Capobianco, dressed in suit and tie at the start, lost the tie, abandoned the jacket and was demonstrative in the demands to his players. The U.S. dominance meant nothing as Cecilia Zandalasini, Italy’s leading scorer with 14 points despite early foul trouble, went up for a 3-point shot in the final seconds. Zandalasini’s rushed attempt, seconds after she appeared to be inadvertently hit in the face by U.S. defender Jackie Young, was wide of the basket.The U.S. finished the game shooting 16-for-56, including 1-for-12 from 3-point range. The lone 3-pointer did not come until 1:50 left in the third quarter, when Paige Bueckers nailed a shot from the right wing. Caitlin Clark would finish the game without a field goal, shooting 0-for-6 and only scoring one point.“Italy really mucked up the game for us a little bit and made it difficult for us to score,” said Breanna Stewart, whose shot with 3:20 to play – her only field goal on a 1-for-9 night — put the U.S. ahead 51-50, the last time the lead would change.The Americans were able to win on the defensive end of the court, forcing 18 turnovers and holding Italy to 31% shooting, including 2-for-15 from beyond the 3-point line.“I think just controlling our effort and our energy and just coming out on the defensive end,” Young said of her team’s strengt