Tyasha Harris Set for USA Basketball Debut

July 12, 2016

COLUMBIA, S.C. ââ’¬” South Carolina women’s basketball incoming freshman Tyasha Harris will make her international debut when USA Basketball begins defense of its FIBA Americas U18 gold medal tomorrow. The U.S. has won six straight gold medals at the event and will begin the 2016 tournament in Valdivia, Chile, against Guatemala at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

In her second USA Basketball trials in May, Harris earned a spot on her first national team. A 2016 graduate of Heritage Christian in Indiana, she signed with the Gamecocks in April. Harris was ranked the No. 27 recruit in the 2016 class and the No. 8 point guard in the group. A finalist for Indiana’s “Miss Basketball,” she helped Heritage Christian to three straight state championships, including the 2016 title in the program’s first season in Class 3A. Averaging 23.5 points as a senior, she is her high schools all-time leading scorer and paces the program in career steals and is third in assists.

The U.S. team gathered for practice at the United States Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo., July 2-9 before traveling to Chile for the tournament. The Americans are in Group A with Brazil, Guatemala and Venezuela for preliminary round action July 13-15. Semifinals and medal-round play is set for July 16-17.

FIBA U18 Americas Championship Schedule
All games will stream live at: www.youtube.com/fiba

Wed., July 13, 6 p.m. (ET) ââ’¬” USA vs. Guatemala (Preliminary Round)
Thu., July 14, 6 p.m. (ET) ââ’¬” USA vs. Brazil (Preliminary Round)
Fri., July 15, 1:30 p.m. (ET) ââ’¬” USA vs. Venezuela (Preliminary Round)
Sat., July 16, 1:30 or 3:45 p.m. (ET) ââ’¬” Classification Semifinals
Sat., July 16, 6 or 8:15 p.m. (ET) ââ’¬” Medal Semifinals
Sun., July 17, 1:30 or 3:45 p.m. (ET) ââ’¬” Classification Finals
Sun., July 17, 6 p.m. (ET) ââ’¬” Bronze Medal Game
Sun., July 17, 8:15 p.m. (ET) ââ’¬” Gold Medal Game