University of Georgia Athletics
Thompkins, American U19 Team Capture Gold Medal
July 12, 2009 | Men's Basketball
AUCKLAND, New Zealand --- Another balanced scoring effort that featured seven players with at least eight points enabled the USA U19 team to fend off a determined Greek team and post an 88-80 victory in the FIBA World Championship gold medal game Sunday in Auckland, New Zealand.
The victory emphatically ended America’s 18-year gold-medal drought in this international tournament. USA, led by University of Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon , finished with a spotless 9-0 record and recorded a 22.2 margin of victory in the championship.
"We really set as a goal to win the gold medal,” Dixon said. “We also made it very clear that we hadn't won this since 1991, we talked about that and we used that as motivation throughout the month we've been together and I think it was really an important part of our work ethic and what we did. We had great kids that worked all the way through and committed to getting the gold medal and gave up, sacrificed individual glory.”
Early foul trouble limited the contributions of Georgia sophomore Howard Thompkins in the gold-medal game. The Lithonia native still managed six points and two rebounds in 11 minutes of action, starting for the fifth time of the tournament. Thompkins averaged 10.6 points and 5.2 rebounds, shooting 54 percent from the field, in final overall statistics for the Americans.
“It means so much to us individually, it means so much to us as a team, it means so much to us as a country,” Thompkins said. “It was so important to us and we came out here with one goal and that was to win gold. We feel somewhat like we were a ‘redemption’ team. So many before us tried and came up a little bit short, but we took care of business for our whole country today and this is a blessing from above.”
The first quarter featured 15 lead changes and ties, and it ended all square at 19. In the second period, however, Tyshawn Taylor’s hot shooting (10 points) helped to push the Yanks out to a 46-30 halftime advantage.
Though the Greeks pulled within 70-61 by third quarter’s end, the Americans settled the outcome early in the final period. A spectacular alley-oop finish from Arnett Moultrie capped a 5-0 run in the first 74 seconds of the fourth quarter to extend the lead 14. Still, Greece challenged on numerous occasions and closed to 8 points with 7:51 to play, but when Klay Thompson and Ashton Gibbs hit back-to-back three-pointers, the lead was 73-61 and the gold medal decided.
Thompkins, an SEC All-Freshman pick last year, is the Bulldogs' top returning scorer and is one of three starters coming back for Coach Mark Fox's team. He is Georgia's first USA Basketball player representative since Jumaine Jones participated in the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York.
Fans can join the Bulldogs as they embark on the 2009-10 basketball season. The best way you can show your allegiance is through the Basketball Enhancement Fund (BEF), whose patrons annually stake their claim to the most coveted seats in Stegeman Coliseum. A new feature for the 2010 campaign is the addition of 24 premier courtside seats.
The victory emphatically ended America’s 18-year gold-medal drought in this international tournament. USA, led by University of Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon , finished with a spotless 9-0 record and recorded a 22.2 margin of victory in the championship.
"We really set as a goal to win the gold medal,” Dixon said. “We also made it very clear that we hadn't won this since 1991, we talked about that and we used that as motivation throughout the month we've been together and I think it was really an important part of our work ethic and what we did. We had great kids that worked all the way through and committed to getting the gold medal and gave up, sacrificed individual glory.”
Early foul trouble limited the contributions of Georgia sophomore Howard Thompkins in the gold-medal game. The Lithonia native still managed six points and two rebounds in 11 minutes of action, starting for the fifth time of the tournament. Thompkins averaged 10.6 points and 5.2 rebounds, shooting 54 percent from the field, in final overall statistics for the Americans.
“It means so much to us individually, it means so much to us as a team, it means so much to us as a country,” Thompkins said. “It was so important to us and we came out here with one goal and that was to win gold. We feel somewhat like we were a ‘redemption’ team. So many before us tried and came up a little bit short, but we took care of business for our whole country today and this is a blessing from above.”
The first quarter featured 15 lead changes and ties, and it ended all square at 19. In the second period, however, Tyshawn Taylor’s hot shooting (10 points) helped to push the Yanks out to a 46-30 halftime advantage.
Though the Greeks pulled within 70-61 by third quarter’s end, the Americans settled the outcome early in the final period. A spectacular alley-oop finish from Arnett Moultrie capped a 5-0 run in the first 74 seconds of the fourth quarter to extend the lead 14. Still, Greece challenged on numerous occasions and closed to 8 points with 7:51 to play, but when Klay Thompson and Ashton Gibbs hit back-to-back three-pointers, the lead was 73-61 and the gold medal decided.
Thompkins, an SEC All-Freshman pick last year, is the Bulldogs' top returning scorer and is one of three starters coming back for Coach Mark Fox's team. He is Georgia's first USA Basketball player representative since Jumaine Jones participated in the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York.
Fans can join the Bulldogs as they embark on the 2009-10 basketball season. The best way you can show your allegiance is through the Basketball Enhancement Fund (BEF), whose patrons annually stake their claim to the most coveted seats in Stegeman Coliseum. A new feature for the 2010 campaign is the addition of 24 premier courtside seats.
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