University of Memphis Athletics
USA Men Gobble Up Turkey at World University Games
Aug 24, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Aug. 24, 2001
BEIJING, China -
BEIJING, China - In its third offensive onslaught in as many days, the USA (3-0) ran away with a 113-90 victory over Turkey (2-1) on Friday afternoon in Beijing. University of Maryland's Juan Dixon (Baltimore, Md.) finished as the USA's leading scorer with 20 points as a total of six players finished in double digits and everyone again scored.
The United States closed the 2001 World University Games preliminary round at the top of Group B and will advance to the medal Quarterfinals Group K to will play three games Aug. 26-28 against South Korea (1-1) and two other opponents yet to be determined. The top team from Group K will then advance to the medal semifinals scheduled for Aug. 30 and the finals will be contested on Aug. 31.
"We didn't really get up and down the floor as well as we were capable of doing today," said USA and Penn State coach Jerry Dunn. "I think, for the most part, my expectations personally may be a little bit loftier right now because we haven't completely gelled as a team. Certainly I think we have to use these three games, take some good things from them and use them next week when we start a different pool of play.
"Defensively we're not guarding the way we need to - to not only win a championship, but be in that particular game (gold medal game)," added Dunn. "We certainly have to get better on the defensive end. Offensively I think from time to time we show flashes of greatness when we're playing as a team, but that doesn't happen consistently enough to win."
Fresno State University center Melvin Ely (Harvey, Ill.) reeled off six straight points to start the contest and by the 7:50 mark, the U.S. held a 10-2 lead. Turkey shot a technical foul, whistled on Chris Owens (Texas / Duncanville, Texas) for hanging on the rim after a slam dunk, and followed that with a three-point play to get back in the game 10-6 at 7:36.
Neither team was able to gain much momentum and with 4:47 to go in the first quarter the U.S. held a 17-12 upper hand. The red, white and blue took off on an 11-4 run, with the help of five points from Antwain Barbour (Wabash Valley / Elizabethtown, Ky.) and four from Lonny Baxter (Maryland / Silver Spring, Md.), to open up the game 29-19 with 39 seconds remaining in the period. Turkey made one of two shots from the line for the quarter's final points and as the buzzer sounded the U.S. was up 29-20.
Following a jumper by Turkey six seconds into the second quarter, the United States scored eight uncontested points, which came from four different players, to pull away 37-22 at 7:33. Turkey never got closer than 14 points and the USA closed the half with a 20-point, 59-39 advantage.
Justin Reed (Mississippi/Jackson, Miss.) scored 12 points for the USA while Earl Barron (Memphis/Clarksdale, Miss.) went 2-for-4 and had four points and a rebound in eight minutes of play. Barron also had a block, an assist and a steal.
With the win, the U.S. improved its winning streak at the World University Games to 43 games, dating back to the 1989 WUGs.
In other preliminary round action Friday South Korea defeated Mexico 89-78 to take the second spot in Group D and will face the United States in the quarterfinal round. The remainder of today's games will determine the USA's quarterfinals round opponents.
