Game 5: USA v Croatia

Game time today – 8:30
We are getting into a game day routine even though our game times change from day to day.  We’ve played mostly the late game but twice at 5:45.  The routine includes breakfast, team meeting for films, lunch, practice, pregame meal, team meeting, depart for the game, GAME time, and then dinner.  Tonight after the game we combined burgers and fries! and watched film on Canada, our opponent tomorrow.

Kim Fitch, Autumn & Colby, Robin Waterman

Game 5: USA 126 – Croatia 52

Way to go Team USA!  5-0 with two to go!

Gold Standard #11:  UNSELFISHNESS.  We’re connected.  We make the extra pass.  Our value is not measured in playing time.

Recording 100 points in the paint and featuring eight players in double-digit scoring, the USA U17 Men (5-0) put together a spectacular 126-52 defeat of Croatia (3-2) in the FIBA U17 World Cup quarterfinals on July 6 at Union Athletic Club in Santa Fe, Argentina.

With the win, USA advanced to the FIBA U17 World Cup semifinals, where it will meet also-unbeaten Canada (5-0) at 7:30 p.m. (all times listed are EDT) on July 7. The USA’s semifinal game will be available in the United States on ESPN+.

The other semifinal matchup will feature Puerto Rico (4-1) versus France (5-0) at 5 p.m. The semifinal winners will meet in the gold medal game at 7:30 p.m. on July 8.

“I felt during warm ups that our kids were really primed for this game tonight,” said USA U17 head coach Don Showalter (USA Basketball youth division coach director). “We are at the point now where you can’t play poorly. I think our team kind of wanted to prove that we are ready to contend for a medal. This was really a big game for us to get to that semifinal.

“The main thing is they played for each other. A great example is when Jalen Green got hot, they kept feeding him the basketball. So, there wasn’t any selfishness. I thought they really did a great job of making the extra pass. And, obviously, they played really hard on defense – causing a lot of turnovers and disrupting their offense. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a U17 team play to this level that these guys did tonight for a full game.”
  
Additionally, the USA, which shot 60.4 percent from the field (55-91 FGs) tied the USA men’s U17 single-game record for made field goals with 55 made baskets. 

The USA led 24-12 after the first quarter, and then broke the game open midway through the second period. Leading 30-20, the USA closed the first half with a 33-2 run that featured nine different U.S. scorers, including six points apiece from Mobley, Moore and Stewart, and at the midway point, the USA was up 63-22.

The USA continued to cruise in the second half, outscoring Croatia 25-11 in the third before Green’s explosive fourth quarter, which helped the Americas outscore Croatia 38-19.
In all five of the USA’s games, all 11 available U.S. players have scored.