Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

USA Basketball U18 wins the FIBA Americas gold over Canada

U18 Uruguay US Basketball

AP

AP

The United States U18 national team captured the 2014 FIBA Americas gold medal with a 113-79 win over Canada on Tuesday night at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Justise Winslow, the Duke signee, finished with a double-double with a team-high 20 points and 10 rebounds. Arizona-bound Stanley Johnson scored 19 and three reserves -- Jalen Brunson, Isaiah Briscoe and Luke Kennard -- all scored in double figures. Canada was led by Findlay Prep (Nevada) 2015 small forward Dillion Brooks with a game-high 27 points. Huntington Prep (West Virginia) wing Montaque Gill-Caesar added 22 points.

The United States had yet to be tested entering the gold medal game. After 14 combined turnovers in the first quarter -- 45 in all -- Canada had cut the U.S. lead to two, twice, in the first few minutes of the second quarter.

The Canadian team has high-major college talent such as Gill-Caesar, No. 22 in the Class of 2015, according to Rivals, and Harvard-commit Chris Egi. The best non-American in the field was Brooks, the three-star recruit, who ended as the tournament’s leading scorer. But the U.S. roster was too deep, as almost all 12 players saw 10 or more minutes on Tuesday night.

The depth continued to fuel the Americans’ defensive pressure, and helped create some separation in the second quarter. Canada committed four turnovers in a 90-second span, which let U.S. extend the lead to 30-21. The U.S. would build on that lead, which got as high as 16 in the second quarter.

The U.S. entered halftime with a 49-35. Canada would never cut into that deficit in the second half. The United States won every game this week by at least 34 points.

This is the the third time Billy Donovan had led Team USA to gold. In 2012, he led the U18 team to gold, followed by winning U19 gold the next season. Providence’s Ed Cooley and Arizona’s Sean Miller served as assistant coaches.

The Dominican Republic won the bronze medal with a 64-53 win over Argentina.

USA

FIBA Americas

Follow @terrence_payne