Russia end USA reign and land first U19 Women title in 28 years

UDINE/CIVIDALE DEL FRIULI (FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2017) - Russia on Sunday were crowned champions at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2017 after beating USA in a classic Final match-up.

Russia climbed to the top of the podium for the first time in 28 years as they edged out the USA 86-82 in a Final that will go down as one of the most exciting in the competition's illustrious history.

Having endured a difficult opening few minutes when the USA raced clear, Russia got a foothold in the contest and then became stronger as the game unfolded - helped by two stellar contributions from Maria Vadeeva and captain Raisa Musina.

The former landed a powerful double-double of 26 points and 18 rebounds, while Musina netted a game-high 33 points to take the title for the first time since the Soviet Union won it back in 1989.

The USA were led by a sparkling 31 points from Cheyenne Carter, but they came up short during crunch time as they failed to extend their magnificent winning streak of winning this event to seven in a row.

FIBA