World University Games: USA & Brazil Win To Close Out Tournament

The Germans. The only thing standing between us and fifth place in the World University Games was...The Germans. Let me tell you something...when fifth place is on the line...we don't lose to The Germans.

Trailing by one point at halftime, 41-40, the USA outscored its opponent 28-12 in the points-in-the-paint category and grabbed 19 boards to Germany’s 8 in the second half to help the Americans hold onto a hard-fought win that was decided in the final minutes.

Team USA finished fifth in the tournament with a record of 7-1. They actually finished with the best record in the tournament but lost at the most inopportune of times (quarterfinals).

Scoop Jardine only saw 10 minutes of action, scoring four points and dishing one assist. It's hard not to notice the way Scoop's PT dwindled through the tournament. However, having not seen any of the games, I'm not quite sure what to make of it, if anything.

Brazil went out a bunch of winners as well, topping Israel 65-60 to clinch 13th place in the tournament. Fab Melo put in 24 minutes worth of work, scoring ten points and grabbing 13 rebounds (to go with five fouls). Conversely to Scoop, it seemed like Fab got more and more PT as the tournament wore on. Again, no idea what to make of it, just an observation.

Both players head home now. Scoop is on his way back to the US where he'll likely tell us about more exotic dishes like "chicken and rice," whatever that is.