2018 Under-17 World Cup: Day Seven Recap
It was the final day of play at the Under-17 World Cup, and every game would decide each team's final standing in the competition, leading up to the very last game of the day and of the tournament, where the champions would be crowned.
15th Place Game
China finally got a win - and where it mattered - turning the game around in the second half after trailing Egypt, they close out the competition with a five-point win in which Haoqin Sun scored 30 points.
13th Place Game
Making more than half their shot attempts from the field, Philippines were in control against New Zealand, with Kai Sotto putting up 22 points and 10 rebounds in their 73-51 win.
11th Place Game
A jump shot from Augustin Cavallin with two seconds left secured the win for Argentina after Mali made a push down the stretch. Cavallin finished with 18 points and his teammate Maximo Milovich had 16 along with 13 rebounds as Argentina's home competition comes to an end with a dramatic win.
9th Place Game
After trailing Serbia for much of the game, a late eight-point run from the Dominican Republic would win them the game by 82 points to 77, with David Jones finishing with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
7th Place Game
The scoreline was tight throughout between evenly-matched Turkey and Australia, though the lead lay with the Australians. Turkey took a six-point lead to open the fourth quarter, and Australia could not force them into losing their cool or making a mistake Mustafa Kurtuldum led all scorers with 20 points as Turkey finish ahead of Australia after a four-point win here.
5th Place Game
Behind 22 points and 10 rebounds from Bojan Tomasevic, Montenegro led Croatia at the end of a closely-contested first half. Croatia put up 43 points in the game’s remainder, taking a firm lead that was as high as sixteen. they finished ahead 74 to 66.
3rd Place Game
The lead changed hands eight times between Puerto Rico and Canada in the first half, where the teams were separated by no more than four points. Shooting 60% from the field and playing tough defence - which included seven team blocks - Puerto Rico captured the bronze medal, defeating Canada 90-77.
Final
Even though the title was on the line, it was another day at the office for the USA. They took an early lead against France, then added more to their scoreline with 58 points in the paint and shutting out France with tough work on the defensive end. Isaiah Stewart was one rebound shy of a double-double, grabbing nine to go with his 15 points in the game, as a conclusive victory over France won the USA the title of 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup champions.
The USA continue their victorious form in the competition - they now won every edition of this tournament - with Jalen Green picking up MVP honours as well.
For more on the Under-17 World Cup, visit the official website of the tournament.
