USA dominates U17 Basketball World Cup, claims eighth title
The United States won the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in Istanbul, defeating Serbia 107-81 in the final, averaging 126.4 points per game throughout the tournament.
The American youth team was unstoppable at the U17 World Cup in Istanbul, winning all seven games by huge margins. In group stage, they beat France 115-84, Japan 128-66, and Italy 131-80. Then they crushed Cameroon 141-85 in the round of 16, Puerto Rico 149-82 in the quarterfinals, and Australia 114-65 in the semifinals.
In the final against Serbia, the US took control early, though Serbia kept it close in the first half. The decisive run came early in the fourth quarter, turning an 81-61 lead into 95-61. Clarence Rosser scored 23 points, and Jakim Bountje Bountje recorded 20 points and 15 rebounds, earning MVP honors. For Serbia, Nikola Kusturica scored 37 points (9/23 FG, 17/22 FT) and grabbed nine rebounds.
In the bronze medal game, Australia defeated host Turkey 77-69, thanks to a strong first quarter (30-12). Luke Paul had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. Turkey's Omer Kutluay contributed 32 points and 7 rebounds. Lithuania finished seventh after beating Puerto Rico 98-93, with Kristupas Sabeckis scoring 26 points. The US has now won all eight editions of the U17 World Cup since its inception in 2010.
