Harris Pours in 18 Points to Lead U.S. to Gold Medal
July 17, 2016
VALDIVIA, Chile — South Carolina freshman Tyasha Harris led the offense with 18 points as the United States claimed its seventh-straight gold medal in the FIBA U18 Americas Championship with a 109-62 win over Canada Sunday night in Valdivia, Chile. It was Harris’ highest scoring output of the tournament and tied for second-most points by an American in the five-game tournament.
Harris got her offense on track early, hitting all three of her attempts in the first quarter, but the Americans led just 23-20 after the opening 10:00, their narrowest margin in a quarter of the tournament. The U.S. created some separation in the second quarter, shooting 50.0 percent from the field to push out to a 51-34 advantage at halftime. As they had throughout the tournament, the Americans further dropped the hammer in the third period. Harris again hit three field goals in the period, all at close range, as the U.S. outscored the Canadians 33-14 en route to the decisive victory.
Making her international debut at the tournament, Harris started all five games and averaged 20.4 minutes on the court. She contributed in all areas, finishing second in the tournament with 5.4 assists per game, including her tournament-high nine against Puerto Rico in the semifinals. Harris shot 57.1 percent from the field for 10.6 points per game and swiped a team-best 2.6 steals per game, including four in Sunday’s gold medal game.
