Michael Gilchrist turned in a monster effort against Canada with 30 points and 15 boards.
Photo by Steven Maikoski/USA Basketball
scored 30 points and grabbed 15 boards Saturday to spark a 103-83 win for the United States over Canada in semifinal action at the FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Hamburg, Germany.
Gilchrist, a 6-foot-7 forward from St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) regarded as the top class of 2011 prospect in the nation, connected on 11-of-15 field goal attempts and snared six offensive rebounds. His effort helped the Americans stay perfect in the event (7-0) and reach the finals where they will meet Poland – a 75-65 winner over Lithuania.
Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) shooting guard Bradley Beal continued his scoring assault in Germany, hitting four 3-pointers en route to 17 points. Adonis Thomas (12 points) and James McAdoo (10 points, 12 rebounds) also reached double figures in the scoring column for the United States.
Marquis Teague of Pike (Indianapolis, Ind.) had a modest statistical performance with six points and five assists., but drew praise from USA head coach Don Showalter.
"Teague came off the bench and ignited our defense," Showalter said.
Prior to meeting Canada, the United States had crushed its last five opponents in the FIBA World Championship by 35 points or more. The Canadians stayed within striking distance for most of the game and trailed by 10 heading into the final quarter.
"They have a pretty special group of players," Canadian head coach Roy Rana said of the United States. "They play as a team and have some outstanding individuals.
"We made it interesting for three of the four quarters. Overall I think that the difference was on the glass. I am proud of our kids. I think we showed today that Canadian basketball is on the rise."
Andrew Wiggins – a 6-7 15-year old who is the youngest participant in the event – led Canada with 20 points and five rebounds.
The United States will meet fellow unbeaten Poland in the final Sunday. Poland is led by 6-5 guard Mateusz Ponitka, the World Championship's second-leading scorer at 19.7 points per game, and 6-11 center Przemyslaw Marcin Karnowski, who is posting 16.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.
