All Courtesy of USA Basketball……
Red-Hot USA U18 Women Run Away With 118-50 Win Over El Salvador
A’ja Wilson was one of eight U.S. player in double-digit scoring with 16 points to go with her eight rebounds.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — Shooting 68.4 percent from the field and featuring eight players in double-digit scoring, the 2014 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team (2-0) ran away with a 118-50 win against El Salvador (0-2) in the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship on Thursday night at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
“I felt we were ready to go,” said USA head coach Dawn Staley (University of South Carolina). “I felt we used our length to our advantage. The players who started the game got us out to a big lead, and then we pretty much cruised the rest of the way.
“One of the goals we had coming in was to continue to try to get the ball inside and shoot high-percentage shots by giving the ball to our post players, and I think we did a good job of that,” Staley continued. “Then when we started hitting down low, it got contagious to the outside. Destinee Walker came in and knocked down some threes; Marina (Mabrey) knocked down some threes. It’s good to see that phase of our game get jump-started, because if you’re looking at our team, that’s probably where our weaknesses are. It was good to see them hit some open threes.”
Sinking 4-of-4 from 3-point, Destinee Walker (Lake Highland Prep School/ Ocoee, Fla.) was the USA’s highest scorer with 18 points; followed by 17 points from Jessica Shepard (Fremont H.S./Fremont, Neb.); 16 points and eight rebounds from A’ja Wilson (Heathwood Hall H.S./ Hopkins, S.C.); 12 points and 12 rebounds from Napheesa Collier (Incarnate Word Academy/O’Fallon, Mo.); 12 points and four assists from Marina Mabrey (Manasquan H.S./Manasquan, N.J.); 11 points from Ariel Atkins (Duncanville H.S./Duncanville, Texas); and 10 points apiece from Beatrice Mompremier (Miami H.S./Miami, Fla.) and Brianna Turner (Manvel H.S/Pearland, Texas).
The USA recorded 30 assists on its 52 made baskets, and won the rebounding battle 42-16.
“I think we played really well and executed what Coach Staley was telling us to do, which was to come out and go straight into the post,” Walker said. “For the first half we really focused on that. In the second half the 3-point line opened up for our guards to shoot and sink some threes.”
El Salvador led in the first minute of the game 5-2, but from there it was all USA. The USA’s largest run of the game, a 20-0 spurt from 8:48 to 4:58, put the North Americans up 22-5. El Salvador made a basket from the field to stop the spurt, and the first quarter ended with the USA leading 33-11.
Nine U.S. players put points on the board in the second quarter, led by seven from Walker. The USA compiled 34 points while allowing El Salvador just 11, and the score was 67-22 at halftime. At the midway point, 11 of 12 U.S. players already had scored points in the game.
Recording its highest-scoring period of the tournament thus far, the USA tallied 38 points in the third quarter and reached triple digits on the scoreboard with 37 seconds left, when Walker hit the first of back-to-back 3-pointers to help the USA end the quarter leading 105-29.
The USA actually cooled off in the fourth period – it had been shooting 76.7 percent through the first 30 minutes. El Salvador found space from deep late in the game, and Astrid Heredia, who finished with 16 points, made four 3-pointers in the last 10 minutes to help put up 21 points to the USA’s 13 to bring the game to its 118-50 final.
El Salvador was led by Hillary Martinez, who finished with 17 points.
“It was a great game,” said Teaira McCowan (Brenham H.S./Brenham, Texas). “I liked the way we played together as a team and kept our energy high and up throughout the whole game. We encouraged each other to push more and more.”
Box Score >> USA 118, El Salvador 50
OFFICIAL BASKETBALL BOX SCORE — G A M E T O T A L S
El Salvador vs USA Women’s U18
8/7/14 5:30 p.m. at USOTC, Colorado Springs, Colorado
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VISITORS: El Salvador (0-2)
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
No. N A M E FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
05 Burgos, Karla * 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
07 Alvarado, Liliana * 0-0 0-0 2-2 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 11
09 Larin, Karina * 0-2 0-0 0-0 1 3 4 0 0 0 3 0 0 17
10 Carballo, Andrea * 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
14 Iglesias, Ana * 5-12 5-10 1-2 0 0 0 1 16 1 2 0 0 19
04 Martinez, Hillary 6-13 2-4 3-3 2 8 10 0 17 2 3 0 2 38
06 Rivas, Adriana 2-10 0-6 0-0 0 1 1 2 4 0 2 0 1 25
08 Navarrete, Sandra 1-4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 0 13
11 Duran, Norma 0-3 0-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 11
12 Sanchez, Nathalie 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
13 Hernadez, Claudia 3-10 1-4 0-0 0 0 0 0 7 2 2 0 0 32
15 Heredia, Astrid 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 3 2 1 0 0 0 29
TEAM …………………………………. 2 0 2 2
TOTALS 18-56 8-27 6-7 5 13 18 6 50 6 20 0 3 200
TOT-FG 1stH: 0-0 00.0% 2ndH: 18-56 32.1% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 32.1% Deadbl
3pt-FG 1stH: 0-0 00.0% 2ndH: 8-27 29.6% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 29.6% Rebs
FThrow 1stH: 0-0 00.0% 2ndH: 6-7 85.7% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 85.7% 0
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HOME TEAM: USA Women’s U18 (2-0)
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
No. N A M E FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
05 Caldwell, Recee * 1-1 1-1 0-0 0 2 2 1 3 4 0 0 0 18
07 Atkins, Ariel * 5-6 0-0 1-1 0 1 1 1 11 2 2 1 1 16
09 Turner, Brianna * 5-6 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 0 10 3 0 0 1 14
10 Collier, Napheesa * 6-9 0-1 0-1 5 7 12 0 12 3 1 2 1 16
14 Wilson, A’ja * 6-7 0-0 4-6 2 6 8 0 16 0 0 1 1 17
04 Kea, Paris 0-3 0-3 0-0 0 5 5 1 0 3 2 0 1 17
06 Walker, Destinee 7-9 4-4 0-0 0 0 0 0 18 1 0 0 1 18
08 Mabrey, Marina 5-8 2-5 0-0 0 0 0 2 12 4 0 0 1 17
11 Moore, Mariya 2-6 1-3 0-0 0 3 3 2 5 6 1 0 3 19
12 Mompremier, Beatrice 5-9 0-0 0-0 4 1 5 0 10 2 1 0 1 26
13 Shepard, Jessica 8-9 0-0 1-2 1 0 1 1 17 2 1 0 0 11
15 McCowan, Teaira 2-3 0-0 0-0 1 2 3 0 4 0 0 1 0 11
TEAM …………………………………. 0 3 3
TOTALS 52-76 8-17 6-10 13 32 45 8 118 30 8 5 11 200
TOT-FG 1stH: 0-0 00.0% 2ndH: 52-76 68.4% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 68.4% Deadbl
3pt-FG 1stH: 0-0 00.0% 2ndH: 8-17 47.1% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 47.1% Rebs
FThrow 1stH: 0-0 00.0% 2ndH: 6-10 60.0% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 60.0% 0
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OFFICIALS: LOBOSCO, V (BRA), VAZQUEZ, P (CHI), PRADO, M (ARG)
TECHNICAL FOULS:
El Salvador – none
USA Women’s U18 – none
ATTENDANCE:
SCORE BY PERIODS: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT1 OT2 TOTAL
El Salvador 11 11 7 21 50
USA Women’s U18 33 34 38 13 118
We are proud of you Paris!