The United States jumped out to a 44-0 lead over Panama during the first quarter of its women’s basketball victory at the FIBA U16 AmeriCup. They did not take their foot off of the gas.
It was a blowout so demoralizing that I cannot imagine what it was like to lose by such a large margin.
This latest win for the United States came during the first knockout round of women’s basketball competition in Irapuato, Mexico on the U16 level. Although Team USA has blown out its competition at every step of the process, the performance against Panama was the most dominant— ever It was a record for the tournament!
The AmeriCup serves as the international basketball championship for the Americas. The top four finishers qualify for next season’s U17 World Cup. This year’s field includes Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Panama, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina. The United States and Canada automatically qualify for the biannual event without playing in the qualifying round. They are on another level.
Team USA has yet to lose. It beat Venezuela by 61, Puerto Rico by 100 and Argentina by 55 during the group stage to qualify for the knockout rounds. It paired with Panama during the quarterfinals.
The United States started the game with a 44-0 scoring run from the opening tip, with 16 steals during the first quarter of play. Panama scored just two points during the first 10 minutes of play.
The Americans tried to scale back their defensive pressure but it didn’t matter. They took a 76-8 lead into the locker room at halftime. They led 106-12 after three quarters. They also did not allow the Panamanians to score at all during the fourth quarter to win 131-12. Oof.
Team USA broke its record for the largest margin of victory at the AmeriCup, besting a 111-point win in 2009.
Every single player who got on the floor scored. Seven of 11 players finished in double digits. Seven players finished with a field goal percentage of 50% or greater and five above 85%.
On the other side of the court, Panama went a combined 4/38 with an astonishing 41 turnovers. None of their players finished with a positive +/-, with one player finishing at -107.
The United States advanced to play Mexico in the semifinals. Panama’s run is over.