Team USA U18s pound Virgin Islands for Billy D's first win
Sunday, June 17, 2012 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Billy Donovan's first foray into international play was a lopsided success.
Memphis-bound Shaq Goodwin scored 30 points -- on a perfect 12-for-12 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in just 19 minutes -- to lead Team USA to a 105-42 blasting of the U.S. Virgin Islands in opening pool-round play of the FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Sao Sebastiao do Paraiso, Brazil.
Tennessee power forward Jarnell Stokes had 12 points and eight rebounds, while Duke-bound guard Rasheed Sulaimon had 12 points and five boards. The Americans shot nearly 60 percent for the game and held the VI to just 11-for-71 shooting from the floor.
That would be 15.5 percent.
“I thought we took advantage of our frontcourt players,” said Donovan, who had all 12 members of his team get in the box score. “As the game started to unfold, we did a better job of recognizing that we had a huge advantage up front.”
Goodwin's 30 points made for the third-highest single scoring effort by player in USA Basketball U18 history.
The Americans will face Mexico, a 79-69 loser Saturday to Brazil, in Sunday's pool play.
