University of Georgia Athletics
Wilkins Paces U.S. Past Venezuela
July 21, 2015 | Men's Basketball
TORONTO --- Former Georgia Bulldog Damien Wilkins' double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds led the United States to an 85-62 victory over Venezuela in the Americans' opening game of the Pan Am Games on Tuesday night.
Wilkins connected on 6-of-10 shots from the floor and 5-of-9 free throws en route to his game-high scoring output. He grabbed seven offensive and three defensive rebounds and also dished out an assist. Wilkins, 35 and the oldest player on the U.S. roster, logged a team-high 27 minutes of playing time.
Wilkins started the contest and got the U.S. off to a quick start by scoring the team's first four points. He eventually finished the first half with eight points; however, the U.S. trailed 41-33 at the intermission.
The Americans took control of the contest early in the second half. The U.S. opened the second stanza on an 18-5 run and grabbed a 59-53 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Wilkins helped put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter. He scored the first six U.S. points of the period - on a 3-pointer from the left corner and a 3-point play on a stickback - as the edge bulged to double digits with 7:17 remaining. Wilkins added six more points in a span of 47 seconds as the U.S. built a 72-55 lead with 5:27 left.
A letterwinner for the Bulldogs in 2002-03 and 2003-04, Wilkins made the Seattle SuperSonics' roster as an undrafted free agent in 2004 and played nine seasons in the NBA with Seattle, Oklahoma City, Minnesota, Atlanta, Detroit and Philadelphia. He has played in the NBA's D-League, China and Puerto Rico during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.
The U.S. will face Puerto Rico on Wednesday and Brazil on Thursday to wrap up Group A competition. Both games will begin at 9 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN2.
