RIGA (2011 FIBA U19 World Championship) - Before the medal matches in Arena Riga on Sunday, battles still had to take place to decide the final placings of teams five through eight. Despite not playing for medals, their was no shortage of emotion.
 
Before the Americas champions came up against the Oceania champions their was the still the little matter of deciding seventh and eighth spots with two of the youngest teams in Latvia coming up against each other as Poland and Croatia offered a slight taste of what can be expected at the up and coming Euro U18 Championship to be held later this month in Poland.
 
In the first half the teams were evenly matched but in the second big man Przemyslaw Karnowski showed himself to be the difference, lifting his side to a 12 point win with 29 points, seeing Poland finish in seventh and the Croats eighth.
 
The playoff for fifth place offered an interesting proposition with the two sides who entered the quarter finals with the best records coming up against each other.
 
The American's began the stronger of the two teams but Australian leader Hugh Greenwood took control, giving his side a lead that they would hold onto until the final minute of the third quarter when "honorary Aussie" Khyle Marshall's put back had the Americans back in front.

With America's leading player at the tournament Jeremy Lamb failing to feature in the match, Tim Hardaway Jr. was taking the initiative, claiming 21.

Having claimed two points in the first 39 minutes of play, Lamb would be able to hit the mark when it counted, hitting what would turn out to be the winning basket with 40 seconds to play.

FIBA