Team USA went on an 18-0 run against Mexico to start the game and never took their foot off the pedal. All 12 players for Team USA scored in a 69-point win over the host country.

AJ Dybantsa led the way for Team USA with 23 points on 11-of-15 (73%) shooting to go along with six assist, five rebounds and three steals. Second leading scorer Cameron Boozer finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and six steals. It was Boozer’s second double-double during the 2023 FIBA U16 Americas Championship. Furthermore, Boozer is the only 16u player to record at least 10 rebounds and five steals in a single game since the introduction of the tournament in 2009.

Jabari Parker in 2011 was the only other 16u player to record at least 15 points, five rebounds and five steals in a single game for Team USA.

Speaking of steals, America came up with 32 tonight, a new team record. The previous record was 26 set in 2017 against Argentina.

Three different players recorded five or more steals in the win (Caleb Holt – 5, Cameron Boozer – 6, Darryn Peterson – 6), the first time Team USA 16u had three separate players each with five or more steals in a single game.

On Mexico’s side, Karim Lopez scored 23 points on 8-of-19 (42%) shooting. Lopez knocked down 3-of-7 (43%) three-pointers, added six rebounds, three blocks and two steals. He accounted for 43 percent of Mexico’s scoring on the night as no other player was in double-figures for the host country.

Lopez is a 6-foot-8 power forward that played last for Joventut 2 in Spain in 2022-23, according to EuroBasket. He’s only the second 16u player ever to record at least 20 points and three blocks vs Team USA, joining Venezuela’s Michael Carrera who finished with 21 points, 17 rebounds and 4 blocks in 2009, the inaugural year of the 16u tournament.

Carrera went on to play at South Carolina and went undrafted in the 2016 NBA draft.

Next up for America is a quarterfinals matchup with Uruguay. This will be the first meeting between the two countries at the 16u level.

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