PR N°40 - USA edge out Australia in thrilling Final to clinch third FIBA U17 World Championship title

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (2014 FIBA U17 World Championship) - The 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship came to a dramatic conclusion in Dubai on Saturday, with the two-time defending champions United States withstanding a stiff challenge by Australia to prevail 99-92 in the Final and capture their third consecutive crown in the tournament.

In a repeat of the 2012 U17 Worlds Final, Malik Newman paced the Americans with 21 points and 11 rebounds while Jayson Tatum had 15 points and both Harry Giles and Josh Jackson scored 13 points. Dejan Vasiljevic knocked down six three-pointers in scoring 29 points while Tom Wilson had 23 points and Isaac Humphries was saddled with foul trouble throughout the game and was held to 10 points and seven rebounds. Click here for the full game report.

The Third-Place Game saw Serbia prevail in a battle of European powers as they knocked off Spain, 62-59. The win enabled the Serbs to get a measure of revenge for their loss to Spain in the Final of last summer’s U16 European Championship, the qualifying tournament for the U17 Worlds. Click here for the full game report.

Newman was rewarded for his impressive play in the tournament by being named the Most Valuable Player, presented by Tissot. He headlined the All-Tournament Team which also consisted of his USA team-mate Diamond Stone, the Australian pair of Humphries and Vasiljevic and Serbia's Nikola Rakicevic.

Meanwhile, in the Classification Games, Puerto Rico beat Canada 65-63 for fifth place, China knocked off France 87-79 for seventh place, while Italy took ninth with a 66-62 win over Argentina, Angola beat Greece 59-51 for 11th place, Egypt grabbed 13th place by beating Japan 68-53 and the Philippines won their first game to claim 15th place with a 115-51 win over tournament hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Final Standings of the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship
1. USA
2. Australia
3. Serbia
4. Spain
5. Puerto Rico
6. Canada
7. China
8. France
9. Italy
10. Argentina
11. Angola
12. Greece
13. Egypt
14. Japan
15. Philippines
16. United Arab Emirates (UAE)

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About the FIBA U17 World Championship

The FIBA U17 World Championship is where the stars of tomorrow are born. The inaugural event was held in Hamburg, Germany in 2010. The second tournament took place in Kaunas, Lithuania in 2012.

The success and interest in the first two editions of the Championship was so high that, starting in 2014, the tournament consists of a 16-team field - the same competition format as the FIBA U19 World Championship.