Men's Semi-Final Game vs. Israel

USA Manhandles Israel, Glides Into Gold Medal Match

Written By Colin Whited

After cruising to a 5-0 record in a relatively easy pool in the preliminary competition and dismantling Russia yesterday afternoon, the U.S. Men's Basketball Team faced Israel in the semifinals, where a tough, physical game was expected.

As the Americans gathered for the pre-game pep talk, U.S. head coach Keith Westhoelter told his team to stay focused.

"Let winning take care of itself", he said as he addressed his team. "All I'm asking is that you play your game today."

Win is exactly what the Americans did, as they used a solid shooting performance to run away with a 112-63 victory over the Israelis.

As expected, the game started off physical, with the Israelis committing 14 fouls in the first half. The U.S. steadily held a 10-point advantage for most of the opening period before they started off the second quarter with a 20-2 run, extending their lead to 28. However, with three minutes remaining in the half and the U.S. leading 51-21, Israeli went on a run of their own, outscoring the Yanks 12-1 to go into intermission with a 19 point deficit.

That would be the closest the Israelis would get, for the Americans would use a 12-2 run to start the second half and never look back.

Josh Sisco (Spartanburg, S.C.) scored 19 points and added five rebounds, and Kevin Berrigan (Frederick, Md.) posted a solid all-around game with 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists to lead the Americans to the World Championship finals.

As has been the case the entire competition, the U.S. offense used a balanced scoring attack to overwhelm the opposition. In all, seven Americans scored in double figures. Brandon McMillan (Frederick, Md.) and Tyler Crace (Westfield, Ind.) hit a trio of treys apiece to score 13 and 12 points, respectively. Greg White (Centerville, Ohio) added 12 points and Raymond Nelson (Riverside, Calif.) and Alfred Wigley (Wichita, Kan.) each chipped in 10.

"The emphasis for us has been to play as a team", Sisco said. "We spread the ball around today, and as a result, seven players scored in double figures." That's textbook team basketball.

The United States got a lift from a tournament-high 13 three pointers. Their ability to hit from beyond the arc spread the Israeli defense, which meant the U.S. had an easier time with dribble-drive penetration.

However, despite the strong offensive showing by the U.S., defense was the number one priority. The game plan for the Americans started with stopping dynamic point guard Shlomi Vaknin, one of the few Deaflympic veterans playing in the competition. Despite scoring 20 points to lead all scorers, Vaknin shot only 5/16 from the field and was held to only one assist.

"The goal today was to contain [Vaknin], and we were able to do that", Berrigan explained afterwards. "When we abide by the game plan and succeed, things will work in your favor."

The United States used their size and athleticism to out-rebound the Israelis 47-29 and hold them to 19/61 (31%) from the field. Israel turned the ball over 20 times, with the Americans coming up with 17 steals.

One of the highlights of the game came during the waning minutes of the second half. With the U.S. leading by 40, Nelson rebounded a Wigley miss and converted a ferocious put-back slam to bring the crowd to its feet.

The win places the United States in the gold medal match against international rival Lithuania. Lithuania was the last team to upstage the Americans, doing so in the 2007 World Championships in Guangzhou, China. However, the U.S. redeemed themselves by defeating the Lithuanians in the gold medal match 10 months ago in the Deaflympic Games in Taipei, Taiwan.

Earlier today, Lithuania secured a spot in the gold medal match by rallying against underdog Venezuela, winning the nail-biter 70-67.

When asked what the U.S. has to do to win gold, Sisco responded, without hesitation, "We have to continue to play with a team mentality. No one player can do it alone."

"We've reached the final step of our journey in Lublin", Westhoelter told his team. "And it's a big one."

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