USA close First Round with 23-point victory over Cuba

LA HABANA (Cuba) - USA picked up one more tally in the win column and closed the First Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers with an 87-64 blowout win over Cuba.

The 23-point win was the USA's biggest win this round.

Cuba held a 16-14 lead after one quarter before USA got things rolling, jumping out to a 14-2 run to start the second quarter, and then going on to outscore Cuba 28-14 in the frame, getting easier opportunities for themselves to score.

USA came into this final game of the First Round leading the Americas Qualifiers with 41.1 points per game off the bench. They continued that trend, scoring 37 points off the bench.

Xavier Munford led the bench unit with 24 points on an efficient 10-of-12 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 from three-point to go along with 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

After Munford, USA was balanced, as all 11 players who got in the game for them, scored. Justin Jackson (13 points), John Jenkins (12 points), William Davis (10 points, 7 rebounds) and Langston Galloway (10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists) also scored in double figures.

Yoel Cubillas was a lone bright spot for Cuba, finishing the game with a near double-double with 15 points and 9 rebounds.

A strength of Cuba in the qualifiers was their rebounding and tonight, they outrebounded the USA 45-37. They finished the First Round of qualifying averaging the fourth-most rebounds per game (41.3).

USA have closed out Window 3 at 5-1 and will move on to the Second Round where they will compete in Group F. Other teams joining USA in the group include Mexico and Puerto Rico (also from Group D) along with Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia from Group B.

Cuba finishes the Americas Qualifiers 0-6 in Group D but can take away some positives for the national team going forward in regard to that they were competitive in five of the six games. Before tonight's 23-point loss, they only lost by five, nine, 10, three and nine points.

FIBA