LAUSANNE (Switzerland) – USA Basketball is heading to the Semi-Finals of the U19 World Cup, but few expected the Quarter-Final to be this tough for the tournament's heavy favorite.
This was arguably the best game of the competition so far. The intensity, the physicality, and the overall speed of the matchup were tremendous.
Before you do anything else, we strongly recommend watching the replay — you'll thank us later.
Even the players involved sensed how great the game was.
"Canada gave us a heck of a battle. They gave us a good game. As a player you have to love a game like that, especially when you come out on top. It was a great game. Lots of fun," said USA big man Morez Johnson Jr.
And USA guard JJ Mandaquit added: "It's amazing, just to be here - the big stage. Canada played a great game but at the end of the day we have one goal - that's to win gold. We pulled it out. No matter what the score was. We won the game."
Overall, the USA was mostly in control of the game — but Canada never backed down. There were 11 lead changes, and Canada kept punching back. At one point, they went on a 13-0 run spanning the end of the second quarter and the start of the third, turning a 50–61 deficit into a 63–61 lead.
This game was a nail-biter until the very end, pushing the USA to bring their A-game.
For the USA, the team’s two standout talents rose to the occasion.
DJ Dybantsa delivered 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, making a clear statement after a relatively quiet start to the competition. He took control in the closing minutes, staying composed at the free-throw line and finishing 12-of-13.
Mikel Brown Jr. added 20 points and 8 assists, continuing to make the case that he may be the purest shooter the United States has produced since Stephen Curry. He went 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line.
Canada, for their part, played an outstanding game. Jordan Charles (19 points, 5 assists) and Tristan Beckford (16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) matched the Americans’ intensity and proved they belong on this world-class stage.
FIBA