Balanced effort carries USA to Americas U-21 title

United States 97-Puerto Rico 86 (May 18+8reb, Withers 17, Gray 13+6ast, Adams 12, Wright 10, Paul 8+8ast, Tucker 7, Villanueva 6, Padgett 4, Shakur 2; Ramos 34+9reb, Barea 27+6ast, Verdejo 12, Colon 9, Rosa 2, Rosas 2)

Puerto Rico's Peter John Ramos and Jose Juan Barea may have combined for 61 points, but the key baskets in the game may have been scored by a player who tallied just 13. With the score 53-50 early in the second half, Justin Gray hit two consecutive three-pointers to give the US a nine-point lead. When Puerto Rico rallied early in the fourth quarter, Gray quieted them with another three, and the US was not threatened again. In the first half, the US had twice gotten out to double-digit leads (12-2 and 42-28), but Puerto Rico came back both times.

Earlier in the day, Argentina and Venezuela won to capture third and fifth places respectively.

Argentina 78-Canada 70 (Figueroa 19, Alloatti 17, Mainoldi 14, Zago 8, Treise 7, Muruaga 5, Ingrata 3, Rivero 2, Weigand 2, Oprandi 1; Costain 12, Kendall 10, Thomas 10, Denison 8, James 5, Gallimore 5, Bekkering 5, Kou 4, Francis 4, Hallet 4, MacDonald 3)

Venezuela 87-Brazil 73 (Cedeno 25, J. Urbina 20+10reb, J. Centeno 14+5ast, Marriaga 11, Palacios 6, Urdaneta 3, Parra 3, Vasquez 3, Quintero 2; Toledo 20, Paulinho 12, Caio 10, Luis Felipe 8, Douglas 7, Cristiano 7, Dede 4, Marcao 3, Ricardo 2)