CIUDAD JUAREZ (Mexico) - The United States, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Canada each clinched their spot at next year’s FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in Turkey after winning their respective Quarter-Final matchups at the FIBA U16 AmeriCup, currently taking place at the UACJ University Gymnasium in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. All four teams also advanced to the Semi-Finals, scheduled for Saturday. The defending champions, the United States, will take on Puerto Rico, while Venezuela is set to face Canada. Meanwhile, in the Classification Round for 5th to 8th place, Brazil and Argentina will renew their South American rivalry. The other matchup will feature the Dominican Republic against Mexico. Here are the highlights from Day 4 of action:
USA 129 - 50 BRA
Seven players scored in double figures as the United States (4-0) secured their eighth consecutive berth to the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup. Nasir Anderson led the way with a double-double of 19 points and 10 assists. He also had 5 steals in just 18 minutes of action.
He was joined by Anthony Williams (17 points and 9 rebounds), Marcus Spears (16 points and 9 boards), Jordan Page (15), Clarence Rosser Jr. (12), and both Beckham Black and Mason Collins with 10 apiece. USA dominated the paint, out-rebounding Brazil 61-32 and scoring 76 points inside. For Brazil (0-4), Lucas Moro once again stood out with 14 points, including three triples, while Fernando Varallo added 12.
PUR 89 - 79 ARG
Puerto Rico (3-1) clinched their fourth-ever ticket to the FIBA U17 World Cup after executing in the clutch, just as their opponent made a late push in search of the win. Dwight Gaines brought composure with a field goal and a pair of free throws after the South Americans had trimmed a 17-point deficit down to just four with 1:11 remaining. Gaines finished with 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. Darell Rodríguez recorded a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Alexis Fuentes added 11 points.
Meanwhile, Argentina (1-3) missed out on the World Cup for the first time after seven appearances (eight qualifications — the 2020 edition in Bulgaria was canceled). Tomás Sandes stood out with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Lautaro Basualdo also hit double digits with 15 points and 12 boards, and added 3 blocks.
VEN 71 - 57 DOM
The reigning South American champions clinched the first U17 World Cup berth in their history. Venezuela (2-2) will make their debut on the global stage thanks to a 42-26 second-half surge.
A strong zone defense and solid work on the boards —36 of their 45 rebounds were on the defensive end— allowed head coach Alexis Cedres’ squad to neutralize the Dominican offense. On the other end, Venezuela showed good balance between perimeter shooting and attacking the rim, knocking down five three-pointers in the second half (eight total) and scoring over 20 points in the paint. Kevin Gutiérrez recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, along with six assists and a block. Julio Vásquez followed with 15 points and six boards, while Williams Anillo hit four threes to finish with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, Malvin Durán led the way for the Dominican Republic (2-2) with 18 points and 4 rebounds. Leomar Jiménez added 12 points, and Luis Valdez grabbed 11 rebounds and chipped 3 points. The Caribbean team struggled from long range, making just 3 of 23 attempts, and also had a tough time inside the arc (18-53), finishing with a low 27% field goal percentage.
CAN 96 - 70 MEX
Canada (4-0) has played in every U17 World Cup since the tournament began in 2010. This will be their eighth time in a row. Along with Puerto Rico, they are the only teams from the Americas, besides the United States, to have won a medal. Isaiah Hamilton continued his offensive tear in the tournament. He put up 27 points (including 3 three-pointers), 8 rebounds, and 5 steals. Isaiah Clarke played 14 minutes and matched his jersey number with 14 points. Jordan Fisher and Malik Idbihi each added 11 points.
Mexico (0-4) is still looking for their first win, despite a strong performance from Diego Licón, who recorded 18 points, 4 assists, and 1 block. Yair Olano chipped in 10 points with two three-pointers.
Top Performers - Quarterfinals
Nasir Anderson (USA) PTS: 19 | FG: 9-10 | REB: 3 | AST: 10 | STL: 5| EFF: 35 Isaiah Hamilton (CAN) PTS: 27 | FG: 11-19 | REB: 8 | AST: 2 | STL: 5| EFF: 31 Kevin Gutiérrez (VEN) PTS: 16 | 2PT FG: 5-8 | REB: 11 | AST: 6 | BLK: 1| EFF: 27 Lautaro Basualdo (ARG) PTS: 15 | FG: 5-10 | REB: 12 | AST: 2 | BLK: 3| EFF: 23 Jordan Page (USA) PTS: 15 | 2PT FG: 5-9 | REB: 7 | AST: 3 | BLK: 1| EFF: 21 Anthony Williams (USA) PTS: 17 | 3PT FG: 3-7 | REB: 9 | AST: 2 | EFF: 21 Marcus Spears (USA) PTS: 16 | 3PT FG: 4-6 | REB: 9 | AST: 1 | STL: 3 | BLK: 1 | EFF: 21
Upcoming games
Saturday, June 7: Classification Brazil vs. Argentina - 12:30 (local time) Dominican Republic vs. Mexico - 3:00 p.m. Semifinals United States vs. Puerto Rico - 5:30 p.m. Venezuela vs. Canada - 8:00 p.m.
FIBA