The Nike Global Challenge got off to a shocking start Friday at Liberty High School in Hillsboro, Ore.
In the opening contest, Gorgui Sy Dieng hit a 3-point shot at the buzzer to give Senegal a 66-65 victory over one of three teams representing the United States in the eight-team tournament.
Will Barton
File photo by Nicholas Koza
The unpleasant surprises kept coming for the red, white and blue in the third game as Brazil blasted the USA's West/South squad by 30 points. A 133-93 victory for the Will Barton-led USA East over a team made up of Chinese and Australian players served noticed that the wake-up call provided by foreign squads earlier in the day was noted.
Despite 20 points and seven rebounds from Harrison Barnes (Ames, Iowa), USA Midwest could not overcome a 65-40 advantage on the boards for the Senegalese team. Five members of the African squad are listed at 6-foot-9 or taller.
Papa Samba Ndao, a 6-9 rising senior at Montverde Academy in Florida, led Senegal with 17 points and eight rebounds. Sy Dieng, a 6-10 19-year old, added 16 points and 11 rebounds. Baye Moussa Keita, a 6-11 rising senior at Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) and Syracuse verbal, blocked five shots.
On the strength of a 26-11 second quarter, Senegal took a nine-point lead into halftime and was able to hold on. The two teams combined to hit just 21-of-87 field goal attempts (24.1 percent) in the second half.
Tony Mitchell (Grand Prairie, Texas) added 10 points and four rebounds for the USA.
Other Games:
Canada 97, Serbia 66
Canada received double-figure scoring efforts from five players in an easy victory over Serbia, 97-66.
Tristan Thompson of Nevada’s Findlay Prep led the way with 17 points and nine rebounds. Gonzaga signee Mangisto Arop (16), Brewster Academy’s Maurice Walker (12), Marquette signee Junior Cadougan (11) and Northfield Mount Hermon’s Laurent Rivard (11) aided the 97-point effort. All 10 players on the Canadian roster scored.
Myck Kabongo of New Jersey’s St. Benedict’s Prep showed why he is regarded as one of the nation’s top rising juniors with eight points and eight assists to go along with two steals.
Aleksandar Ponjavic scored a team-high 17 points for Serbia.
Brazil 92, USA West/South 62
In another humbling setback for the United States, Brazil outscored a team of West and South all-stars in all four quarters and coasted to an easy 92-62 win.
Jordan Burger, a 6-7, 220-pound forward, scored 17 points to lead Brazil. Raul Togni Neto added 14 points, five steals and four assists.
The Brazilian squad drilled 12 3-pointers, including seven in the second half.
North Carolina guard J.T. Terrell was high scorer for the United States with 20 points. C.J. Leslie, another Tar Heel State product, added 14. Austin Rivers, a top rising junior guard from Winter Park, Fla., was 0-for-6 from the field and finished without a single point.
USA East 133, All-Asia 93
Baltimore native Barton, No. 3 in the MaxPreps Class of 2010 Top 100, poured in 25 points, grabbed six boards and dished six assists to get the US contingent back on track in the evening finale with a 133-93 win over All-Asia.
Barton was one of seven Americans scoring in double figures. Kyrie Irving (21 points, 9 assists), Tobias Harris (17), Josh Selby (14 points, 10 assists), Trevor Cooney (12) and Roscoe Smith (12) joined the scoreboard assault. The East squad shot 58 percent for the game, including a scorching 62.3 percent in the second half.
DaJuan Coleman, the only rising sophomore on any of the three US squads, logged 18 minutes and posted four points and five rebounds.
Jie Zhao of Dongguan, China, led All-Asia with 20 points
Saturday’s Slate
2 p.m. – USA West/South vs. All-Asia
4 p.m. – USA Midwest vs. Serbia
6 p.m. – Senegal vs. Canada
8 p.m. – Brazil vs. USA East
