July 23, 2000

USA Basketball Game Story & Box Score

RIBEIRAO PRETO, Brazil -- Despite a team high 17 points from Jason Williams (Duke / Plainfield, N.J.), the 2000 USA World Championship for Young Men Qualifying Team (4-1) was defeated by Argentina (4-1) 92-77 in the 2000 Confederation of Pan American Basketball Associations (COPABA) World Championship for Young Men Qualifying Tournament gold medal contest on Sunday night in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. The USA did achieve its goal of qualifying for the 2001 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Championship for Young Men, as the top three nations advance to next year's world competition, which will be held in Japan. The Dominican Republic came back from a 42-29 halftime deficit to claim a 77-73 victory over Brazil to earn the bronze medal and the final FIBA Americas Zone qualifying spot.

"Argentina shot 67 percent from the three-point line," said USA and Syracuse University (N.Y.) head coach Jim Boeheim. "We've done a great job of defending that, but tonight we left them open and they knocked them down. They made some incredible shots. Every time we made a run, they made a three. The guy (Carlos Delfina) who had been averaging about four points a game went for 29 tonight. They just made their shots tonight."

"I think we just didn't come out like we wanted to win," said Williams, who finished as the tournament's assist leader with 29 (5.8 apg.). "We really wanted to win the game, we just didn't come out and show it. They got on us early, we missed a lot of baskets and that hurt us. They hit a lot of shots on us tonight, we weren't really playing defense on them very well. I have to give them a lot of credit for hitting a lot of shots. We just have to take this as a lesson, come out next year and do much better."

The contest started off as a battle and with 11:14 to go, the score was knotted at 17 apiece. Argentina outscored the USA 11-6 over the next 3:08 to go up by five points, 28-23. However, the United States' defense began to fuel its offense as it went on a 12-2 run, with the aid of five points apiece from Brian Cook (Illinois / Lincoln, Ill.) and Michigan State University freshman-to-be Zach Randolph (Marion H.S. / Marion, Ind.), to go up 35-30 with 2:55 remaining in the half. But Argentina came back with an 11-4 run, which included six points from the line, to take a 41-39 lead into the locker room.

Argentina continued to shoot well in the second half and opened with a 9-3 run to open up an eight point lead, 50-42, with 14:36 to go. Williams hit a three to cut the USA's gap to five points, but Argentina answered with a 10-3 run which put them ahead 60-48 with 10:56 remaining. The United States began to slowly chip away at Argentina's lead and with 2:22 to go, Jason Richardson (Michigan State / Saginaw, Mich.) knocked down a three pointer to close the gap to 81-74. However, that was as close as the North Americans would get as Argentina answered with a three-pointer of its own at 1:59 after a U.S. miss, Argentina was fouled and made both of its attempts, leading 86-74 with 1:15 to go. Tayshaun Prince (Kentucky / Compton, Calif.) made a three-pointer for the USA's final points of the game at 1:06, but the U.S. missed the rest of its shots, while sending Argentina to the line for it's final six points and the buzzer sounded with Argentina ahead 92-77.

In addition to Williams' team high 17 points, Randolph and Richardson each scored 12 and Cook pitched in 11 points. Randolph grabbed a team high seven rebounds, while Kenny Satterfield (Cincinnati / Bronx, N.Y.) and Williams passed off for a game high tying five assists.

Carlos Delfina scored a game high 29 points, tournament MVP Luis Scola and Martin Leiva each added 15 points for Argentina.

The United States, which had shot a stellar 51.7 percent from the field and 41.0 percent from three-point through its first four games, shot 36.2 percent (25-69 FGs) from the field and 30.0 percent (6-20 3pt FGs) from beyond the arc against Argentina. In contrast, Argentina shot 50.0 percent (28-56 FGs) from the field and 62.5 percent (10-16 3pt FGs) from three-point range. Argentina also out rebounded the U.S. 37-29.

University of Arkansas standout Joe Johnson (Little Rock, Ark.) sprained his left ankle in the USA's July 18 practice and did not compete in the tournament.

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 tonight's consolation games, Canada (2-3) defeated Puerto Rico (2-3) to close in fifth place, while Panama finished in seventh place with a 77-73 victory over Uruguay.