an inside-out approach, pounding the ball inside and taking care of the bas- ketball, and we did that well.” Samuelson led the USA with 20
points, including 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point, and eight rebounds; Mulkey added 16 points; Cox finished with 14 points and seven rebounds; Ogunbowale scored 13 points and grabbed six boards; Brown and Durr contributed 12 points apiece; and Boykin rounded out the USA’s double- digit scorers with 10 points and six rebounds. “We were just focusing on what
we needed to improve on,” said Mulkey. “The scoreboard didn't matter to us. We wanted to work on what we needed to work on, and we did that.” Costa Rica led very early in the
game, 4-2, after a bucket at 8:45 in the first. That was their last points of the quarter. A 3-pointer from Samuelson kicked off a 33-0 run to close the first period that included scores from six U.S. players. Despite the USA slowing down its
offense to focus on execution, that run, the USA’s largest of the game totaled 39 unanswered points as it stretched into the second quarter. Costa Rica man- aged just one field goal in the second period, which came at 7:37, while the USA raced to 25 points to take a 60-6 lead into the halftime locker room. In the third quarter, the USA again
allowed Costa Rica just one field goal, this time as it compiled 21 points thanks to scores from six different players. Costa Rica had its best quarter of the
game in the last 10 minutes, scoring 11 points. The USA, however, while focus- ing on four goals set forth by Phillips, added 25 points to finish with a 106-19 win.
“We gave them four specific items
to focus on in the second half, and they were detail oriented in what we were try- ing to do, and I was really pleased with their response,” Phillips said. “We were defending the high post with our guard play, which we needed to a better job of, and taking away middle penetration, and then offensively looking inside-out and taking high-percentage shots.” Every statistical category was in the
USA’s favor, including a 67-23 rebound- ing advantage, 34 second-chance points
USA Basketball News
Mexico is a solid team, and they are going to take advantage of our mis- steps, and I think that got our atten- tion,” said Phillips. “We turned things around when we decided to defend and really pressure the bas- ketball and turn them over. That cre- ated some transition opportunities.” Overall, the USA forced
Mexico into 33 turnovers, which it converted into 27 points. “We played pretty well,”
Ogunbowale said. “We moved the ball well and got into passing lanes. We did bad on our free throws and had too many turnovers, but we got some nice shots and found open looks. I think we stayed focused for the most part. We slipped up a few times, but we always got it back together.” The USA put the first points on the
Scoring 10.0 points a game and adding 2.4 steals, Arike Ogunbowale provided the U.S. with a spark off the bench.
to Costa Rica’s zero and 64 points in the paint to the South Americans’ four. Further, the U.S. bench provided 64 points for the red, white and blue, which recorded its best assist total of the com- petition with 27, while committing just five turnovers. The USA’s lone weakness was at the
free throw line, where the team shot just 47.4 percent (9-19 FTs).
USA 101, Mexico 29 The U.S. took control of its semifi-
nal contest against host Mexico in the first quarter and never looked back, sailing in for a 101-29 win. Three players finished with 16
points for the USA, including Cox, who added eight rebounds; Ogunbowale, who collected four steals; and Samuelson. Also reaching double digits were
Brown, who added 13 points and eight rebounds; and Durr, who recorded 11 points and four steals. After trailing 5-4 in the first 1:30 of
the game, the USA launched a 25-0 run to all but secure the game’s outcome. “The start was a little hectic, and we broke down defensively a few times.
board, but Mexico answered back and led 5-4 with a 3-pointer at 8:46. That was the last time Mexico would be close. A three from Durr at 8:31 was
USA 101, Mexico 29 June 22, 2013
MEX Meza
Suarez Jayme Flores Partida
MIN FG FT R A PF PTS 20 1- 6 0- 0 2 10 2 27 1- 5 0- 0 1 00 3 22 1- 6 1- 2 2 12 3 32 5-13 0- 0 2 02 10 16 1- 6 0- 0 1 04 2
Del Campo 11 0- 1 0- 2 0 00 0 Mazatini Cruz
8 0- 1 0- 0 0 02 0 9 2- 3 0- 0 0 00 4
Delgadillo 17 0- 1 0- 2 0 12 0 Barcelata 9 0- 0 3- 4 1 10 3 Huidobro 29 1- 7 0- 0 6 12 2 Totals
USA
Ionescu Durr
Boykin
13 0- 3 1- 2 1 10 1 19 5- 9 0- 0 3 20 11 25 4- 4 1- 4 6 01 9
Samuelson 25 7-12 0- 0 1 01 16 Cox
Ogunbowale 15 5- 6 4- 4 2 00 16 Carter
17 6-10 1- 2 8 00 13 200 40-66 14-22 44 57 101
75 11 6 -- 29 37 23 18 23 -- 101
Dangerfield 20 3- 5 0- 0 1 02 8 Murray
Dungee 11 0- 0 2- 2 1 01 2 Mulkey Brown Totals
20 7-12 2- 4 8 11 16 11 1- 1 0- 0 1 01 2 17 2- 3 3- 4 7 10 7 7 0- 1 0- 0 2 00 0
Mexico USA
3-PT FGs-Mexico (1-8): Suarez 1-4, Flores 0-1, Del Campo 0-1, Mazatini 0-1, Delgadillo 0-1; USA (7-13): Samuelson 2-6, Dangerfield 2-2, Ogunbowale 2-2, Durr 1-2, Ionescu 0-1; TO- Mexico 33, USA 17; BLKS-Mexico 4, USA 5; STLS-Mexico 8, USA 18.
93
200 12-49 4-10 22 5 14 29 MIN FG FT R A PF PTS
Jenny Maag//USA Basketball
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