Team USA, Maddyn Greenway scrape by France 70-65 in FIBA U19 World Cup Quarterfinals

Team USA is now just one win away from making an appearance in the FIBA U19 World Cup Championship following their closest contest yet, a 70-65 win over France on Friday. The whole team really struggled to produce, not just Kentucky commit Maddyn Greenway. For the most part, it was a cast of 5-6 players that carried USA to victory.

If it weren’t for a fast 19-10 start out of the gate for USA, they would have probably lost. France outscored the Americans in the second and fourth quarters, and USA only had 14 points to France’s 13 in the third quarter.

Greenway only logged eight minutes of playing time on Friday, just recording a rebound in her brief time on the floor. As noted before, USA stuck with a very small and tight rotation this time. They were cold, shooting just 28-65 (43.1%) from the field overall and 4-15 (26.7%) from beyond the arc. Class of 2028 Kentucky target Sydney Douglas did not play against France.

Only three players got into double figures in the scoring column for Team USA. Saniyah Hall led the team with 26 points, and Sienna Betts (14) and Kayleigh Heckel (13) also put some points up in the win.

USA will suit up tomorrow to take on Spain in the Semifinals. If they win, they’ll face the winner of Canada vs. Australia for a gold medal on Sunday.

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