07/04/2009 - Duke Sports Information

Auckland, New Zealand – Another balanced scoring attack helped the USA U19 World Championship team cruise past Egypt 112-55 and improve to 3-0 to earn the top seed heading into the second round.

Duke’s Seth Curry has started all three games in New Zealand. He played 22 minutes in Saturday’s 4th of July victory, making one three-point field goal to go with one rebound, three assists and one blocked shot.

“One of our goals was to finish the preliminary round with our group’s No. 1 seed and we achieved that today,” said USA head coach Jamie Dixon. “Another goal of ours is to continue to improve throughout the tournament and over the last two games I think we have, especially defensively.”

Seven U.S. players scored in double figures. Ashton Gibbs (Pittsburgh / Scotch Plains, N.J.) tallied game highs with 18 points and six assists in his 18 minutes, while Shelvin Mack (Butler / Lexington, Ky.) finished with 14 points and four assists; John Shurna (Northwestern / Glen Ellyn, Ill.) posted 13 points and six rebounds; Howard Thompkins (Georgia / Lithonia, Ga.) scored 12 points;  White finished with 11 points and eight rebounds; Klay Thompson (Washington State / Ladera Ranch, Calif.) recorded 11 points and seven rebounds; Gordon Hayward (Butler / Brownsburg, Ind.), added 10 points, six rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots; and Darius Miller (Kentucky / Lexington, Ky.) was credited with a game high nine rebounds to go with nine points.

Following a day off, the action resumes July 6 with the United States taking on Lithuania (time TBA). The USA will conclude the Second Round action by facing Puerto Rico on July 7 and Greece on July 8.