PORTLAND, Ore.  – Cole Anthony showed why he is one of the nation’s most coveted players.

With a band of precocious USA Basketball players proudly reppng the star-spangled banner clinging to a two-point lead late in the fourth quarter Friday, Anthony of Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of the Wilson, Va.)  completed the rally, hitting five of six throws and the Americans overcame the physical World Team, 93-87, at the Nike Hoops Summit at Moda Center before a pro-American crowd of 10,011.

Anthony, an uncommitted 6-feet-3 senior guard, finished with 25 points and 8 rebounds as USA pushed ahead late with a 24-15 fourth-quarter spree.

The victory gave the USA a 15-7 all-time lead in the series and wiped out last year’s 89-76 loss to the Word Team. Canadian  Roy Rana, the coach of th4 World Team, is now 4-5 as its head coach.

“It was a tough game and they [the World Team] were well prepared,” said USA head coach Scott Fitch of Fairport (N.Y.). “The culture of this team showed in the fourth and we hung in there. I told them between the third and fourth quarters that we needed to win the fourth quarter and did.”

“Cole [Anthony] took over in a few stretches tonight.”

Forward Wendell Moore Jr. of Cox Mill (Concord, N.C.) gave USA the lead for good at 88-87 with 2:20 left.

Guard Nico Mannion of the World Team from Pinnacle (Phoenix, Ariz.), missed two free throws on the next possession. With under a minute left, Precious Achiuwa (15 points, 11 rebounds) of Montverde (Fla,) Academy and Nigeria chased a missed USA shot but stepped on the sideline, giving possession back to the Americans. 

Anthony, who was 6 of 8 from the free-throw line, then clinched it with five made free throws in the final 50 seconds. Mannion (game-high 28 points, 5 assists) had a chance for the lead with 40 seconds but his shot was blocked.

James Wiseman (6 points, 4 blocked shots), a 7-1 stretch-5 prodigy from East High in Memphis, Tennessee, and the projected top overall pick in the NBA draft in 2020, canned a turnaround jumper on the baseline to tie the game at 84 with 3:39 left. USA had trailed since late in the third. Wiseman then gave the Americans an 86-84 lead off a pirouetting spin shot in transition.

That acrobatic move brought the crowd to its feet.

The game’s pace and shape finally picked up in the third quarter as the World led 72-69. During a four-minute stretch, the lead changed hands six times as players found a rhythm and the transition game for both sides kicked in.

Anthony swished an NBA 3-pointer with 2:23 to give USA a 64-63 lead. The World used a 9-5 spurt to end the period. Mannion scored 10 in the frame.

When the Americans calmed down it was Anthony, who struck for 10 points in the first half, sinking a pair three balls rallying his team for a 39-33 lead at 4:30 of the second quarter.

“We had a slow start to the game,” Anthony said.

The World Team settled for a 50-43 lead at the break, closing on a 17-4 run in the final four minutes. Arizona-bound Mannion unleashed his transition skills totaling 12 points (two 3s) and assisted five times. He was backed by Achiuwa, another player who played at an American high school, with 10 points on 5 of 10 shooting and 6 rebounds.

“I could not play 1 on 1 tonight; it was about team ball,” said Mannion, who played for the Italian National Team last summer. “Our team [World] worked well together and I was proud to represent Italy with the Italian flag on my jersey.”

Mannion’s mother is an Italian citizen.

Anthony topped the Americans in the opening 20 minutes with 10 points. USA hit 17 of 34 shots (50%) but was woeful from three-point land (3 of 11 for 27.3%). The World was 7 of 13 for 53.8% on threes and controlled the boards, 21-15.

In the opening quarter, Mannion was a man on a mission when he scored twice off steals and Team World was 7-0 after 64 seconds.

For the game, the Americans were 36 of 72 from the floor for 50%, but the World held a 52-47 edge in rebounding. The World had a tough night shooting in all three categories, making 29 of 78 for 37.2% (from the field) 9 of 25 threes (36%) and 20 of 38 free throws (52.6%).

Last week, Anthony said he’s down to four schools–North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oregon and Georgetown–and will make a decision soon. Sources say he’s a near-lock for North Carolina.