Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson and Jewel Spear were key contributors for the USA women on Sunday, spurring their team to a 65-56 victory in Group A play at the 2023 FIBA AmeriCup.
For the second straight game, Jackson paced her squad in scoring. The 6-foot-2 forward fired in 17 points and was one of only two U.S. players in double figures. She added five rebounds and an assist in a game-high 28 minutes of duty. Spear, meanwhile, drained a trio of three-pointers to finish with nine points and rate as USA’s third-leading scorer. She added a pair of boards, an assist and a steal in 25 minutes of action.
As opposed to Saturday’s blowout vs. Venezuela, USA had to fight off a tough challenge from Argentina in its second game of the tournament. The USA outscored its opponent, 19-18 in the first frame and 14-11 in the second stanza to take a four-point halftime lead, 33 to 29. A pair of Jackson free throws with 24 seconds left in the first period enabled USA to carry the edge over into the second, and her four points in the second quarter contributed to the increased American advantage at the intermission.
In the third stanza, Spear drained a three-pointer that tied the game at 40 after the USA had fallen behind. She struck again from beyond the arc at the 2:16 mark to push her team up by five, 45-40. A Jackson jumper at the 1:39 mark then boosted the edge to seven en route to a 49-40 lead after three.
A Jackson three with nine minutes left in the game propelled the USA to a game-best 10-point gap, 52-42. With the tilt tied with 4:24 remaining, Spear assisted Jackson on a turnaround jumper to give their team a 58-56 lead. Jackson and Spear added key late-game scores, with Jackson knocking down a pair of three throws to make it 62-56 with 1:32 left, and Spear connecting on her third trey of the day with 59 seconds on the clock to add the final score of the game for either team.
The USA finished only five of 16 from the three-point arc on the day, so Spear’s three-for-seven effort proved to be a key contribution toward the outcome. Jackson’s five boards, which rated third on the team, contributed toward a decisive 53-32 advantage on the glass.
The Americans (2-0) will return to the hardwood on Tuesday at 4:40 p.m. ET to face off vs. Brazil (2-0) on Independence Day. USA will try to improve upon a 3-4 record against that nation in AmeriCup play.