Julius Randle scored 15 points as the USA U18 team beat Argentina, 107-72, to advance to the FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men gold medal game.
The USA will meet host Brazil Wednesday for the gold in a rematch of Monday’s game, won by the Americans, 83-64, behind 22 points from Tennessee’s Jarnell Stokes and 15 from Randle. Brazil advanced to the gold medal game after handing Canada its first loss of the tournament, 66-62.
“What I have told the guys is whatever has happened up to this point in time against any team we’ve played really doesn’t mean anything. So if you’re playing tomorrow for a gold medal, regardless if it is Brazil or Canada, you can expect it’s going to be a hard fought game because you know what, they’re going to be playing for the same thing we’re playing for,” said USA and University of Florida head coach Billy Donovan.
The U.S. offense, which registered a tournament high 107 points on 54.8 percent shooting overall, was also paced by Rasheed Sulaimon (Strake Jesuit College Prep/Houston, Texas) and his 14 points, Shaq Goodwin (Southwest DeKalb H.S./Decatur, Ga.) tossed in 13, Rodney Purvis (Upper Room Christian/Raleigh, N.C.) and Stokes each accounted for 11 points, and Nate Britt II (Gonzaga H.S., D.C./Upper Marlboro, Md.) and Jake Layman (King Phillip Regional H.S./Wrentham, Mass.) were credited with 10 points apiece.
“Coach Donovan told me if they play off me to just to shoot the jump shot so I started shooting jump shot and made a couple, which made it harder for them to guard me,” Randle said.
The USA outrebounded Argentina 44-27 as every member of the U.S. team registered at least two rebounds.
PHoto, release: USA Basketball
