PORTLAND, Oregon – Call it sweet sweep for the Americans at the Nike Hoops Summit on Saturday night.
Cooper Flagg of Montverde (Fla.) Academy led the USA Men to victory, posting 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting to go along with 11 rebounds in a 98-75 blowout win of the World Team 98-75 in the 25th edition of the Nike Hoop Summit in the Moda Center.
“They came in with the right mindset and the right attitude,” USA head coach Sharman White said. “They wanted to win this game really bad, they wanted to represent their country, they wanted represent themselves, their community, their families, and they came here, and they did that.”
Ace Bailey opened the Nike Hoop Summit with a pull up jumper from the top of the key to spark the U.S. on a 9-2 run. The World Team stormed back in response as they went up 10-9 but Flagg halted their push after hitting a mid-range jumper over his defender while falling to his left.
Flagg ran into foul trouble in the first half nabbing three early fouls.
“You have to be better than your excuses,” Flagg, a Duke recruit, said. “I just went out with that mindset and just stayed positive.”
Boogie Fland of Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) came into the game midway through the first quarter and instantly connected with Jayden Quaintance on a transition alley-oop slam to go up five (17-12).
AJ Dybantsa Jr. and VJ Edgecombe kept the Americans honest as they led Team World to a 24-23 lead after quarter number one.
The two teams proved to be equal competitors as they traded baskets over the second quarter. Fland kept the U.S. on pace in this frame as he scored seven of his nine points the second that included a floater, a tough finger roll finish off the glass and a step back three-pointer.
The United States did just enough to be up two points (42-40) heading into the break.
The United States out rebounded Team World 58-35, including 17 offensive rebounds compared to their seven. Flagg (11 rebounds), Asa Newell (10), Harper (seven) and Bailey (six rebounds) all contributed to their successful night on the glass.
Offense slowed down in the opening minutes of the second half as the shots weren’t hitting from either squad. Dybantsa (21 points) threw down an alley-oop with the pass coming from Nolan Traore to give World Team their last lead of the game (50-48) with 6:28 to go in the third.
The efforts of Harper, Morez Johnson Jr., and Flagg helped swing the momentum back in the United States favor as they led by eight (68-60) going into the final frame.
“Any setting I’m in, that we’re in, and that the rest of my teammates are in, I think we’re going to compete at a high level, and I think that’s what really set us apart from them,” Harper said. “We just really competed and wanted it more.”
The United States separated themselves from their counterparts in the fourth and grew their lead up to 15 (84-69) after Ian Jackson connected with Bailey for an easy triple.
The highflying U.S. threw down several forceful dunks to close the door on this one as they outscored World Team 30-15 in the fourth quarter.
“We have a really special group of guys,” Flagg said. “We had a lot of guys that sacrificed themselves and just played a role tonight.”
USA Basketball improves to 18-7 all-time at the Nike Hoop Summit, winning for the fourth consecutive year.
Men’s box score
USA Women rally late
The USA Women and World Select teams put on a show. The Americans came away with the win, 83-80, giving them a 2-0 record in the second year of the women’s game.
The USA found themselves digging out of a hole for the better part of three quarters. The World Team put pressure on the Americans early and often, quickly establishing a 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter. By the second frame, the game was slipping through the USA’s fingers as the team trailed 41-55 heading into halftime.
By the 2:52 mark of the third quarter, the team trailed 54-71, but the script quickly flipped to the USA side. The Americans came to life late in the third, starting a 20-2 run capped by a Kennedy Smith of Etiwanda (Calif.) layup with 7:25 remaining in the game, which put the U.S. up 74-73, its first lead since the first quarter.
From there the game stayed within four points up until the buzzer sounded, and while the World Team had their opportunity to tie the game with a three in the final seconds, the USA closed the door, relying on their defense which brought them life in the second half.
“We really wanted to talk about how we could play with a different type of energy, force and intent,” said head coach Sue Phillips following the USA’s come-from-behind victory. “I thought we were settling for some mid-range shots, perimeter shots…but when we finally turned the screws a little bit our team really took it to them on the defensive end.”
The difference came in the turnover game. The USA recorded 14 turnovers to the World Select Team’s 34 and capitalized on its opponents’ mistakes, converting those giveaways into 38 points.
“Obviously they had a lead, and we had to get stops in order to get the win and we knew that coming in,” mentioned Joyce Edwards, who led the USA with 17 points in the second half. “We focused on that, took advantage of it, and it caused our offense to flow. I feel like that was the main goal.”
The team as a whole played a masterful second half on defense and capitalized on their opportunities by turning 34 World Team turnovers into 38 points.
Edwards and Smith shined for the American squad, combining for 49 points and 11 steals. Both players scored over 20 points for the U.S. side to join Mikaylah Williams as the only players to score above the mark at the Nike Hoop Summit so far.
Women’s box score
— From USA Basketball Communications
