Michigan State University Athletics
Valentine Helps USA Claim Bronze Medal in Pan Am Games
7/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
TORONTO â€" Michigan State senior guard Denzel Valentine came off the bench to contribute 11 points, four rebounds and a block in 17 minutes, as the USA (3-2) stormed back from a 21-point third quarter deficit to claim an 87-82 victory over the Dominican Republic (1-4) and capture the bronze medal in the Pan American Games on Saturday, July 25.
Valentine, who scored in double figures in three of the USA's five games, connected on 4-of-6 shots from the field, including 1-of-2 3-pointers, and went 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Three of his four rebounds came off the offensive glass.
Four other USA players scored in double figures against the Dominican Republic. Guard Bobby Brown (Dongguan Leopards, China/Los Angeles, Calif.) led the USA charge with 19 points, Wilkins added 18, Taurean Waller-Prince (Baylor/San Antonio, Texas) had 12 points and team-high seven rebounds, while Ron Baker (Wichita State/Scott City, Kan.) and Valentine each tossed in 11 points.
Playing 14 hours after suffering a heartbreaking overtime loss to host Canada and seeing its gold medal hopes dashed, the U.S. was sluggish and out of sync for the game's first two-and-a-half quarters as the Dominican Republic built a 21-point lead and looked as though it was on its way to claiming the bronze medal.
"It was not looking good. We waited until our backs were firmly pinned against the proverbial wall, and then we responded," said USA and Gonzaga University head coach Mark Few. "Through that whole time, though, Ron Baker was just playing his tail off, and I think that kind of kept us alive.
"And then Bobby (Brown) got going, and Damien (Wilkins) had a couple of big plays, everybody … Taurean (Waller-Prince) got us going and knocked a couple of balls loose. We just started being way more proactive."
Trailing 63-42 with 4:23 left in the third quarter, the U.S. kept fighting and slowly turned momentum around and crept back into the game. Ultimately outscoring Dominican Republic 40-16 over the final 14:29 of the game, the USA earned the improbable 87-82 win. It was an uphill battle for the United States right from the opening tip. Trailing 26-15 after the first quarter, the Americans needed a Wilkins 3-pointer with 22 seconds left in the second quarter to only trail 48-35 at halftime. Valentine netted seven of his 11 points in the first half.
The third quarter featured the Dominicans sinking four 3s, and the last one pushed their lead to 66-47 with 2:30 left in the third quarter.
Stepping up its defensive pressure and getting into transition, the U.S. got rolling and after outscoring its opponent 12-2 to end the third stanza, only trailed 68-59 heading into the final period. Valentine scored four points in the third quarter and his basket brought the USA back to within nine at 66-57.
The reenergized Americans kept up the frantic pace and tallied a 19-7 spurt to help the USA take its first lead of the game, 78-75, with 4:03 left in the contest. The go-ahead points came by way of a hustle play by Wilkins, who beat a Dominican Republic player to a loose ball in the backcourt, went in and scored and was fouled. Converting the free throw, the U.S. took a 78-75 lead.
Dominican Republic appeared to have turned back the USA rally when it scored six-consecutive points to regain the lead at 81-78 with 2:26 to play.
Prince made his only 3 of the contest to tie the game at 81 with 1:56 left, and Wilkins, the USA's 35-year-old veteran, grabbed a Brown missed and scored the put back to give the U.S. an 83-81 lead with 1:04 on the clock.
Juan Garcia went to the foul line for Dominican Republic and after making one of his two charity tries, the score was 83-82 with 58 seconds remaining.
Brown pushed the U.S. lead to 85-82 with 25.7 seconds to go with a runner, and a game-tying 3-pointer by Dominican Republic was off target. Prince secured the rebound and was fouled with 9.6 seconds to play. Prince calmly made both free throws to seal the USA's remarkable 87-82 comeback victory.
In the battle on the boards, the U.S. outrebounded Dominican Republic, 35-32; 15 of the U.S. rebounds were offensive and resulted in 19 second-chance points.
The USA made a cool 44.1 percent of its shots while Dominican Republic shot 48.3 percent for the game; however, the U.S. defense forced the Dominicans into just 37.0 percent shooting in the second half.
The USA was short-handed in the game as Keith Langford (UNICS Kazan, Russia/Fort Worth, Texas) and Anthony Randolph (Lokomotiv-Kuban, Russia/ Pasadena, Calif.) were injured an unable to play.
Overall, the Americans have now compiled a 90-17 all-time win-loss record and captured eight gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze medals.
