Behind balanced scoring that saw all 12 U.S. players score, including seven in double-figures, it was smooth sailing for the USA U19 World Championship Team (7-0) as it posted a dominating 109-67 victory over Canada (3-4) Friday night in quarterfinals play at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic.
Just four of the U19 championship’s original 16 teams now remain in the hunt for U19 gold. Saturday’s medal round semifinals play will feature the United States taking on Lithuania (6-1) at 2:15 p.m. EDT, while Serbia (6-1) will go against Australia (4-3) (12 p.m. EDT) in the other semifinal game. Winners will advance to Sunday’s gold medal game (2:15 p.m. EDT) and semifinals losers will play for the bronze medal (12 p.m. EDT). FIBA TV and ESPN3 are streaming all of the semifinals and finals games live.
“I thought our guys got off to a pretty good start offensively, I just though defensively we had some breakdowns and loose balls that allowed them to stay close,” said USA and University of Florida head coach Billy Donovan. “I really, really like the fact that things were not necessarily going well for our team and we kept battling though. I was really pleased with the way we started the second half.”
Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State University/Flower Mound, Texas) scored 14 points to lead the red, white and blue offense; Michael Frazier (University of Florida/Tampa, Fla.) accounted for 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting from 3-point; Aaron Gordon (Archbishop Mitty H.S./San Jose, Calif.) scored 12 points on flawless 6-of-6 shooting, while Jahlil Okafor (Whitney Young H.S./Chicago, Ill.) also recorded 12 points on perfect 5-of-5 shooting and added a team-high eight rebounds. Montrezl Harrell (University of Louisville/Tarboro, N.C.) scored 11 points; Elfrid Payton (University of Louisiana at Lafayette/Gretna, La.) tossed in 10 points and Mike Tobey (University of Virginia/Monroe, N.Y.) finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
“I just went out and played,” said Marcus Smart, who shot 6-of-9 for the night and recorded his highest scoring output of the tournament to date. “(My points) just came to me in the flow of the game, I really wasn’t trying to force anything, if it was there I was taking it.”
Down 9-7, the USA manufactured one of its trademark offensive runs to grab control. Smart evened the score at 9-9 and started the U.S. on a 15-2 run that lasted just over 3:30 and saw the U.S. open a 24-14 lead. Canada closed the quarter by outscoring the U.S. 8-6, but after the first 10 minutes the U.S. was out in front 30-22.
Canada, despite making just 8-of-20 tries from the free throw line in the first two quarters, stayed within reach of the U.S. and trailed 39-32 with 4:20 remaining before half. With Tobey scoring six of the USA’s final 14 points of the first half, at halftime the USA had cushioned its lead to 53-36.
Share
AFP
