One day after opening pool play at the Under-19 FIBA World Championships with a commanding 88-29 victory over Ivory Coast, the United States U-19 team didn’t miss a beat in its 113-57 victory over China Friday afternoon.
Arizona signee Aaron Gordon led six Americans in double figures with 17 points while also grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds, with Florida guard Michael Frazier making four three-pointers (scoring 15 points) and St. John’s HS (Houston) senior Justise Winslow 14 (and seven rebounds).
Also reaching double figures were Tennessee forward Jarnell Stokes (13 points), Oklahoma State guard Marcus Smart (11 points, five steals) and Whitney Young HS (Chicago) senior Jahlil Okafor (11 points, eight rebounds).
The team, coached by Florida head coach Billy Donovan, managed to score 70 points in the paint and shoot 53% from the field. Eleven of the 12 players who saw action for Donovan scored, and the United States out-rebounded China by a staggering margin of 50-14.
Thirty of the Americans’ fifty rebounds came on the offensive end, as their size proved to be too much for the Chinese to handle.
Next up for the United States is its final game of pool play, as they take on Russia Saturday. The Russians rebounded from a two-point loss to China in solid fashion, as they beat Ivory Coast 78-43 earlier Friday.
Raphielle can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.