United States delivered on their way to the AmeriCup 2017 Final

CORDOBA (FIBA AmeriCup 2017) - They arrived as favorites, and they met everyone’s expectations. The United States defeated Virgin Islands, 90-62, and will play in the FIBA AmeriCup 2017 Final. Once again, their strong defense allowed them to compensate their low effectiveness in outside throws. Fast attacks, short possessions and making the most out of the rivals’ errors were the victory’s convincing tactics. Munford, with 20 points and 10 rebounds, was the game’s outstanding player.

Victor's triple at the beginning of the game was the most satisfactory moment for the Virgin Islands’ squad. From that point onwards, the game belonged to the United States. A quick 12-0 in only 4-minutes gave USA a first solid advantage thanks to a defensive intensity that allowed them to run the court comfortably and profit from their rivals’ losses. With Marshall as a key figure, Van Gundy's team made 12 more before confidently leaving to the short break (22-10).

The roster’s extension gave United States the possibility of maintaining their strength in the defense. Although they didn’t have high percentages in their outside shooting, during the first 4 minutes of the game the marker displayed a 16-point advantage (30-14). Coming in from the bench, Munford had quality minutes in the offense. Virgin Islands couldn't overpower the strong defense that forced them to throw mid-distance, where their percentages are significantly lower. Hodge played with restraint, the team was impacted by the fact —to the point of being 22 points below (44-22). The difference in 17 points when the first half was over (44-27) demonstrated the difference between both teams out in the court.

When the second half began, Team USA went out with the solid objective of determining the game. They didn't rest in the defense, and in 3-minutes they had already reclaimed their 22-point distance (54-32). Warney in the paint along Hearn and Williams II in the perimeter were the outstanding players in a team that kept constantly rotating their players. With 20 points to their favor, United States stepped on the court to play the last quarter, already knowing that their next stop would be the tournament’s finale (62-42).

With the game to their favor, the rotations started to appear and the end was predictable. Virgin Islands tried it all, but things were complicated, especially when they tried to attack. With the same formula they used in Montevideo, and true to their coach’s idea of prioritizing in the defense, the winners at a point distanced themselves by 30 points (87-57), which also raised their percentages in outside throws. United States won and took their first step towards their goal of taking home this first edition of the FIBA AmeriCup.

FIBA