Oklahoma State University Athletics
Smart Paces USA U19 Team to Victory
June 27, 2013 | Cowboy Basketball
June 27, 2013
PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- Oklahoma State sophomore Marcus Smart and the USA U19 men's basketball team dismantled the Ivory Coast 88-29 here Thursday night in the first round of the FIBA U19 World Championships. Smart recorded a game-high five steals in the victory.
Smart scored the first basket for the United States, and a Smart three-pointer less than five minutes into the game ignited a 19-0 run by the USA, giving the Americans a 33-6 edge which they never relinquished. The Cowboy finished with five points, five steals and three assists in 15 minutes of play.
Defense and post scoring ruled the day for the United States as the Americans forced 21 turnovers and allowed just 18 percent shooting by the Ivory Coast, which qualified for the World Championship with a silver-medal finish at the FIBA Africa Championship last summer. Dominating inside against the much smaller Ivory Coast squad, 60 of the USA's 88 points were scored by the six post players.
The United States, gold-medal winners at last year's FIBA U18 Americas Championship, were the only country from the Americas to win their first-round matchup. Spain defeated Canada 81-70 in the morning round, while Serbia beat Brazil 65-50 in the second session. Argentina lost to Iran 84-73 while playing in the evening contest.
Smart and the USA U19 squad will face China on Friday at 8:15 pm local time (1:15 pm CT) in the O2 Arena.
FIBA U19 World Championship Standings (day 1)
Group A
Spain (1-0)
Croatia (1-0)
Canada (0-1)
South Korea (0-1)
Group B
Lithuania (1-0)
Iran (1-0)
Argentina (0-1)
Czech Republic (0-1)
Group C
Australia (1-0)
Serbia (1-0)
Brazil (0-1)
Senegal (0-1)
Group D
USA (1-0)
China (1-0)
Russia (0-1)
Ivory Coast (0-1)
