Spain's Marcos Alvarez Fernandez, center, and Segrio Benito Diaz foul U.S. forward Robert Haney Jr. during his shot in the third quarter of the quarterfinal game Friday at Taipei Gymnasium. (Photo by )
Men's basketball wins grind-it-out game against SpainHoops advance to semifinal against Greeceby Colin Whited on September 11, 2009 After cruising to a 3-0 record in a relatively easy pool in preliminary competition, the U.S. Men’s Basketball Team faced Spain in the quarterfinals Friday, and some expected a tough, physical, grind-it-out game. “We knew it was going to be physical,” U.S. assistant coach Kevin Smith said. “I’ve watched them since the ’93 Games, and they’ve always been a team known for their dirty style of play.” In front of a crowd that was predominantly Spain supporters, a tough, physical, grind-it-out game was exactly what happened. The U.S. and Spain combined to turn the ball over 30 times and committed 26 fouls in the first half, in which every point scored was hard-earned. After a tough first 20 minutes, the U.S. had a game at last, taking a 12-point lead at the half. Robert Haney and Sekoe White led the way at intermission, scoring 17 and 14 points respectively. U.S. head coach Keith Westhoelter cited the team’s poor execution on offense as one of the causes for their slow start. For most of the first half, the U.S. played without energy and found itself in dire need for a spark. That boost came when Haney intercepted a pass by Spain and threw down a monstrous dunk that made the crowd erupt with 1:36 left in the second period. The momentum carried over to the third quarter, when the U.S. began to take over. While Spanish players and coaches alike started to gripe and plead for calls, the Americans were able to stay poised, going on a 22-6 run after Haney’s dunk, forcing Spain to take a timeout with the U.S. up, 61-34, with 5:23 to play in the period. “We were able to re-group at halftime and remind each other who we’re playing for — USA,” White said after the game. “Once we were able to regain that mindset, things got a lot better for us.” After continuous holding and grabbing by the Spaniards, the U.S. finally was able to put the game away with a strong third quarter, in which it outscored Spain, 33-15, extending its lead to 76-46, before ending the game with a 100-69 victory. “It was a physical game,” Westhoelter said. “It was important that we were able to maintain our composure.” The U.S. was able to out-rebound Spain, 51 to 35, and shoot 41 of 79 from the floor while forcing 26 turnovers. Haney finished with a team-high 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Anton Jackson and White each added 19. Edlin Dorn scored 12 points to go along with nine boards, and Dan Kelly contributed 11 points and five rebounds off the bench. Adria Jane March paced Spain with a game-high 28 points to go along with 13 rebounds. The U.S. competes in the semifinals against Greece on Sunday. Israel and Lithuania face off in the other semifinal match. |
 Spain's Marcos Alvarez Fernandez, center, and Segrio Benito Diaz foul U.S. forward Robert Haney Jr. during his shot in the third quarter of the quarterfinal game Friday at Taipei Gymnasium. (Photo by )
 U.S. forward Anton Jackson heads on a fast break during the second quarter against Spain on Friday at Taipei Gymnasium during the men's basketball quarterfinals. (Photo by )
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