June 8, 2014

MOSCOW – South Carolina guard Tiffany Mitchell helped Team USA to its second gold medal in as many FIBA 3-on-3 World Championships with a perfect 9-0 record through Pool D. She and her teammates Cierra Burdick (Tennessee), Sara Hammond (Louisville) and Jewell Loyd (Notre Dame) capped their run with a 15-8 win over host Russia Sunday evening at Luzhniki Park in Moscow.

Team USA cruised through Pool D, which included Hungary, Brazil, Ukraine, Spain and Argentina, with its closest game still a double-digit win. Spain was able to hold the Red, White and Blue to its lowest offensive output in pool play but still lost 16-6. The Argentinians also came within 10 points in a 21-11 Team USA victory.

In the first round of knockout action, the U.S. dispatched Uruguay, which advanced as the fourth team out of Pool A, 19-6. The Americans met France in the quarterfinals in the second game on Saturday. Against Pool B’s second-place team, the U.S. eked out a 12-9 victory to move on to Sunday’s semifinals.

Team USA had an early lead on Pool A winner Belgium in the semifinals, but saw the game tied at 13 with just over 30 seconds remaining. Mitchell helped turn the tide, leaping to steal a pass into the post and turning it into a bucket before combining to force another Belgium turnover, which led to another U.S. bucket. The spurt was the start of the last push to an 18-14 victory.

The final saw a pair of undefeated teams face off after Russia dispatched Pool C winner Czech Republic in the other semifinal. Team USA was unfazed by the home crowd and finished off the gold-medal effort with a 15-8 victory.

The 2014 edition was just the second FIBA 3×3 World Championship contested with Mitchell and her teammates keeping USA Basketball as the only gold-medal winners at the event. The 2012 gold was won by the quartet of Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame), Bria Hartley (UConn), Chiney Ogwumike (Stanford) and Ann Strother (UConn).

2014 FIBA World Championship Team USA Results
Pool D Play (June 5-6)
USA def. Hungary, 21-5
USA def. Brazil, 21-8
USA def. Ukraine, 21-10
USA def. Spain, 16-6
USA def. Argentina, 21-11

Round of 16 (June 7)
USA def. Uruguay, 19-6

Quarterfinals (June 7)
USA def. France, 12-9

Semifinals (June 8)
USA def. Belgium, 18-14

Final (June 8)
USA def. Russia, 15-8