July 21, 2000

USA Basketball Game Story & Box Score

RIBEIRAO PRETO, Brazil -- With the help of late three-point plays by Jason Richardson (Michigan State / Saginaw, Mich.) and Kenny Satterfield (Cincinnati / Bronx, N.Y.), the 2000 USA World Championship for Young Men Qualifying Team (3-0) came-from-behind to edge Argentina (2-1) 83-78 Friday night in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. With the win, the USA advances to medal semifinal action in the 2000 Confederation of Pan American Basketball Associations (COPABA) World Championship for Young Men Qualifying Tournament as the top seed in Group A and will play the loser of tonight's Brazil-Dominican Republic match on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. (local), while the victor will face Argentina in the other medal semifinal at 5:00 p.m. (local).

Maryland's Steve Blake played only six minutes in the game, contributing two points and four rebounds. He shot 1 for 2 from the floor.

"Argentina is probably the best team here, along with Brazil, and we were in a dog fight from the beginning," said USA and Syracuse University (N.Y.) head coach Jim Boeheim. "It was just one of those games where we were never able to get in front until right at the end. You have to give Argentina a lot of credit, they played us tougher than anyone's played us in this tournament. We had to fight for our lives. Kenny Satterfield made a great play in the end to win it for us. Our defense was outstanding in the second half. (Luis) Scola had 19 points in the first half and Nick Collison (Kansas / Iowa Falls, Iowa) held him to two points in the second half. Tayshaun Prince (Kentucky / Compton, Calif.) came off the bench and had a big second half for us, he really played well. It was just a good, hard fought team win and we're going to have a tougher game tomorrow night."

Trailing most of the first half, including owning a 49-45 halftime deficit, the United States took a two-point lead with four minutes to go after Richardson snared an errant pass and tossed the ball to Satterfield for a jumper which put the U.S. on top 74-72. Argentina missed its next three shots, but managed to grab the rebounds and with 2:25 to go, Scola drove to the lane for two and was fouled by Satterfield. After missing his bonus shot, Argentina again was there for the offensive board and Satterfield picked up his fourth foul, sending Martin Leiva to the line. He made both free throws and Argentina held the lead 76-74 with 2:19 remaining.

After Richardson, who was fouled attempting a jumper, made the second of his tries, Argentina turned the ball over, but the United States was unable to score as Jason Williams (Duke / Plainfield, N.J.) missed a three-pointer. With 1:13 on the clock, Leiva scored two for Argentina to put his team up by three, 78-75. However, that was Argentina's final points of the contest. Richardson nailed a three-pointer with one minute remaining and following an Argentina turnover, Satterfield was fouled while driving to the basket and converted his extra shot for the three-point play to put the USA on top 81-78 with 21.6 to go. Argentina missed a desperation three on the other end and Richardson scored two to put the nail in the coffin with 8.6 seconds remaining as the USA came away with the narrow 83-78 victory.

"I was open and I've been practicing that shot in practice," said Richardson about his late three. "I was looking down at the floor and they were coming up at me and I just shot it. I've been practicing that for awhile and it finally paid off. There was a lot of pressure on that one, it was a bit shot that tied the game and I'm just glad it went in."

"I was just trying to get the shot off and luckily it went in," said Satterfield. "Argentina is a pretty good team, we didn't really distract them that much in the first half. We just had to pick it up on the defensive rebounds. Coach told us (in a late time out) that we just had to make some big plays, that the game wasn't over and there was enough time to win it. Now we just have to come out tomorrow and play hard."

Richardson led the U.S. with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Williams was the only other U.S. scorer in double digits with 17 points and passed off for a game high five assists. Collison, Prince, Michigan State University freshman-to-be Zach Randolph (Marion H.S. / Marion, Ind.) and Satterfield each contributed nine points.

Scola scored a game high 21 points in Argentina's losing effort.

The USA, which got into foul trouble early, was without the services of Brian Cook (Illinois / Lincoln, Ill.) and Bobby Simmons (DePaul / Chicago, Ill.) throughout the second half as both were whistled for four fouls in the first period and closed the night with five players who committed four fouls. Argentina took advantage of the USA's foul trouble, converting on 20-of-25 free throws in the first half and finished the game with 25 points from the line, nearly a third of its point total.

The USA shot 50.0 percent from the field (31-62 FGs), including a stellar 46.7 percent (7-15 3pt FGs) from three point, while Argentina shot 43.1 percent (25-58 FGs) from the field. The USA out rebounded Argentina 32-24.

University of Arkansas standout Joe Johnson (Little Rock, Ark.) sprained his left ankle in the USA's July 18 practice and is listed as day-to-day.

Rounding out Boeheim's coaching staff are recently named University of Houston (Texas) head coach Ray McCallum and Hofstra University (N.Y.) head coach Jay Wright.

In Group A action the Brazil (3-0) defeated Dominican Republic (2-1), while Puerto Rico (1-2) topped Canada (0-3) 66-61. The top two teams in each pool, Brazil and Dominican Republic in Group A and the United States and Argentina in Group B, advance to the medal semifinals, slated for July 22. The winners of the semifinal games will compete for the gold medal on July 23 at 7:00 p.m. (local). The top three teams from the Americas Zone Qualifying Tournament will earn a berth to the 2001 FIBA World Championship for Young Men, which will be held in Japan.