The USA Men’s Pan American Games Team (1-2) showed Friday night that they are fast learners when they surprised previously unbeaten Argentina 74-71 in the team’s final preliminary round game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Playing their third game in as many nights, 6-9 forward D.J. White (Indiana / Tuscaloosa, Ala.) was a force for coach Jay Wright’s USA squad, scoring a game best 22 points, with numerous points coming in critical times.
Semifinals plays gets underway Saturday. The U.S. will face the U.S. Virgin Islands (1-2) on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. (EDT) in one of the two consolation round semifinals games, while Panama (1-2) will go up against Canada (0-3) in the other. In the medal semifinals round, Brazil (3-0) will challenge Uruguay (2-1), and Argentina (2-1) will meet Puerto Rico (2-1). The Pan Am finals are being contested Sunday.
"I think our guys finally understand how physical this is and how you have to play at this level. I'm proud of them. They really battled. Argentina's a great team. I'm proud that after 0-2 they didn't quit. I think that says a lot about their character and how much pride they take in representing the USA," said Wright.
The youngest team competing in the Games, the U.S. proved resilient against Argentina and unlike its prior two outings, the Americans continuously made big plays.
Trailing 42-38 with 9:12 to play in the third quarter, an energized USA team got things rolling. Joey Dorsey (Memphis / Baltimore, Md.) started things off with an offensive rebound and putback, then with White scoring seven points and Scottie Reynolds (Villanova / Herndon, Va.) adding five more, the USA went on a 20-9 run that left it leading 59-51 with 1:27 left in the third period.
Argentina closed out the quarter with a pair of 3-pointers from Javier Bulfoni, including the second which came with just two ticks left in the quarter, to make the score 59-57.
White scored the U.S. team’s first six points of the final period as the U.S. eased out to a 65-59 lead.
Argentina closed the distance to two points, 67-65, but Shan Foster (Vanderbilt / Kenner, La.) was dead on target with a three to create some additional breathing room.
Still the Argentines would not go away. Closing the lead to 73-71 with 1:03 to go, Drew Neitzel (Michigan State / Grand Rapids, Mich.) missed a jumper with 38 seconds to play and Dorsey was there for the offensive rebound. Working the clock, White missed a jumper with 22 seconds left and again Dorsey came up with the ball. Fouled by Argentina, Dorsey made the first of his two throws to push the lead to 74-71 with 20.3 seconds to play.
Argentina guard Facundo Sucatsky, who had already drained three 3-pointers, got the ball and missed a deep three attempt with 5.2 seconds showing, and when Argentina came up with the ball in the scramble for the long rebound, Sucatsky got another chance but this time Dorsey got a good piece of the three attempt to seal the victory for the U.S.
"I think we played more as a team. Coach [Wright] said earlier today to play inside-out with me and big Roy (Hibbert). I just got it going," White stated. "My teammates did a good job of getting me the ball towards the end of the game as I got hot. So, I give all the credit to my point guards for looking at me down the stretch.
"We played with more of a sense of pride. I think this was our best effort so far - as far as playing together as a team, sharing the ball and playing together on defense. That's what made us win tonight."
Mixing up the starting lineup some, Derrick Low (Washington State / Honolulu, Hawaii) proved Wright’s intuition correct as he hit two 3-pointers as the U.S. sprinted out to an 18-9 advantage in the game’s first six minutes. Argentina fought back with a 9-0 run and when Sucatsky hit a 3-pointer with :02 remaining before the end of the opening quarter, Argentina had fought back to take a 24-22 lead.
With 4:04 to go in the second quarter, things looked bleak as Argentina had move ahead 35-26. Low scored five points during a 10-0 run by the U.S. that got them back into the contest and at halftime the U.S. only trained 38-36.
"Getting Derrick Low in there, he's kept a great attitude not getting a lot of playing time, he was awesome. He started with great confidence. D.J. White was incredible. D.J. was just a beast in there and Shan Foster did a great job with Garcia. Garcia is one of their best players," said Wright.
"Joe Dorsey has kind of been the heart and soul of our team and it's nice to get him playing time. He earned it. He really battled their big guy [Roman Gonzalez] in the third quarter at the end and came up with huge plays and hit a big free throw."
The USA cause was aided by Low’s 13 points, while Neitzel and Foster added 10 points apiece.
In Friday’s final preliminary round play, host Brazil captured top honors in Group A winning the battle of unbeatens, defeating Puerto Rico (2-1) 97-94; and the U.S. Virgin Islands handed out a 74-67 setback to Canada (0-3) and in the day’s nightcap, Uruguay (2-1) bested Panama (1-2) 76-68.
Wright is being assisted on the USA bench by University of Alabama head mentor Mark Gottfried and Yale University head coach James Jones.
