Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson and Jewel Spear each scored in double figures, helping the USA get back on the winning track with a runaway 106-44 victory over Cuba on Wednesday afternoon at the 2023 FIBA AmeriCup.
After falling to Brazil on Tuesday at Domo de la Feria, the American squad bounced back in strong fashion and closed out Group A play in second place with a 3-1 record. The USA will now wait to see who it will play on Friday in the quarterfinal round. The bracket shows the second place Group A squad (USA) facing the third-place team from Group B (Colombia, Mexico or Dominican Republic).
In Wednesday’s triumph over Cuba, Jackson fired in 16 points, grabbed six rebounds and added two assists and a steal in 21 minutes. Spear, meanwhile, finished with 10 points and three assists in 18 minutes, committing no turnovers for the third time in four outings at the tournament.
The Lady Vol duo helped USA tally 46.3 percent marksmanship from the field while limiting Cuba to only 24.3 percent. They also contributed to a whopping 75-35 advantage in rebounds, with 41 of the American points coming via second chances and 52 of them from within the paint. Spear also contributed to a 71-point barrage of points from reserves, compared to 21 for the opposition.
With the outcome well in hand, the USA’s reserves closed out the final frame and out-pointed the Cubans, 23-16, to account for the final 62-point margin of victory.