TEAM PHOTO
(STORY COURTESY OF USA BASKETBALL)
On a night when USA posts Erlana Larkins (North Carolina/Riviera Beach, Fla.) and Crystal Langhorne (Maryland / Willingboro, N.J.) combined to score 34 points on perfect 16-of-16 shooting from the floor, the USA left no doubt who was the best team at the 2005 FIBA Women's U19 World Championship was after dismantling Serbia & Montenegro (4-4) 97-76 in the gold medal contest Sunday night in Tunis, Tunisia.
"This feels great," remarked U.S. head coach Gail Goestenkors. "I'm so proud of the kids. They worked so hard and put it all together. We played great team basketball again. Our depth was factor, it has been all tournament long. Our rebounding was another factor, we were relentless on the boards."
The USA was led in the win by Larkins, who finished with 20 points on perfect 9-for-9 shooting, while Langhorne tossed in 14 points on also perfect 7-for-7 shooting. Abby Waner (ThunderRidge H.S./Highlands Ranch, Colo.) added 12 points and four assists, while Courtney Paris finished with 10 points and a team high seven boards. Essence Carson (Rutgers/Paterson, N.J.) was credited with seven points, and team highs of six assists and four steals.
Langhorne, who averaged a USA best 16.8 points a game and 6.4 rebounds a game, while shooting a gaudy 77.5 percent (55-71 FGs) from the field and 79.3 percent (23-29 FTs) percent from the foul line, was named MVP of the 2005 FIBA U19 World Championship. Also named to the five-member All-U19 World Championship Team was Candice Wiggins (Stanford/Poway, Calif.), who finished averaging 15.8 points a game, while shooting 57.1 percent (44-77 FGs) from the field and 42.9 (18-42 3pt FGs) from 3-point.
"This means a lot (winning the MVP award), I feel honored. There were so many great players in this tournament and on our team, to be named MVP is overwhelming," said Langhorne.
"It's great (being named to the All-World Championship Team) but I feel like anyone on our team could have made it. We have such a great team, we have such depth on our team, it's great to be recognized but I realize we have great players and it could have been anyone and I think that's the best part of our team," stated Wiggins.
Formerly known as the FIBA Women's Junior World Championship and held every four years since 1985, the USA's capturing of gold in 2005 marks just the second time the American women have claimed gold in the six U19 World Championships. The U.S. now boasts of a 32-10 overall record and has captured two gold (2005, 1997) and one bronze medal (2001).
Whatever suspense the gold medal game was suppose to have, it was quickly removed as the USA broke away early and never looked back.
Leading 12-8 with half of the opening quarter over, the U.S. outscored Serbia & Montenegro 12-4 over the last five minutes to take a 24-12 lead after one quarter of play. The balanced USA play was underscored by the fact that the U.S. got points from eight different players in just the first quarter.
With Larkins and Marissa Coleman (St. John's College H.S./ Cheltenham, Md.) each scoring four points, the U.S. outscored Serbia & Montenegro 13-6 in the second quarter's first 3:15 to up the USA's advantage to 37-18. The two teams traded baskets for the remainder of the quarter and the U.S. led comfortably 56-34 at halftime.
Over the course of the first two quarters the U.S. shot a lights-out 65.7 percent, making 23-of-35 shot attempts. And when the U.S. did miss, more times then not it got the offensive rebound. The U.S. outrebounded Serbia 25-8 over the first 20 minutes, and the Americans grabbed eight offensive boards.
The Americans kept the pressure on Serbia & Montenegro in the third quarter and outscored them 29-13 to push the lead to 85-47. From there the Americans sailed home, claiming the gold in the process.
"This feels good," said the evening's star Larkins. "Our mentality was to try and put them away early so we could kind of relax."
For the U.S. players, winning gold made all their hard work and sacrifices worth it.
"For us to win the gold medal after having not won it for so long is really special," said Langhorne. "We did a whole lot of work, those two-a-days in Colorado really paid off. To represent our country and for us to win, to help America get another gold medal, will always be something special."
"Before the game we all got together and we were reminiscing about the six weeks and all the things we had been through together, all the two-a-days, all the time traveling, getting to know each other. This (victory) sort of symbolizes us all coming together which is a great feeling," added Wiggins.
How dominating was the ?˜05 team's performance at the U19 World Championship?
Statistically, the USA averaged 105.9 points a game, and won its eight games by a whopping average margin of victory of 46.3 points a game.
By winning all eight of its games, the U.S. became just the third team to emerge from the U19 World Championship undefeated and the first team to go 8-0. Of the 16 USA team records for the event, the 2005 squad shattered 10 of the previous marks, including most points (842); highest scoring average; most field goals made (340) and attempted (567); highest field goal percentage (.600); most free throws made (118) and attempted (183); most rebounds (355); and most assists (183). Of 14 USA single game marks, 11 were rewritten and two others tied. In the 2005 U19 World Championship overall statistics, the USA as a team finished ranked tops in 11 categories.
In Sunday's other finals action, China (6-2) rebounded from yesterday's los to the U.S. to roll to a 78-61 win over Russia (5-3); Spain (5-3) finished on a high note and claimed fifth place after posting a 75-71 victory over South Korea (4-4); Australia (5-3) bounced back after dropping two straight to defeat Hungary (3-5) 68-62 and earn seventh place.
Serving as assistant coaches to head coach Goestenkors are Felisha Legette-Jack, head coach at Hofstra University's (N.Y.), and Carol Ross, head mentor at the University of Mississippi.
To be eligible for the 2005 USA U19 World Championship Team, an athlete must have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1986 (19-years-old or younger).
