By Eurohoops team/info@eurohoops.net
Turkey was on the verge of a bad start in the FIBA World Cup, but with a storming come back the day was saved with a 76-73 win over New Zealand. The winners got a 75-72 advantage with a 14-0 run and in the end Penney and Webster missed the potential tying three point shot. Oguz Savas with 16 points was the best player of the winners and Emir Preldzic added 14 points, 6 assist and a big three pointer.
Things were different in the first game of the day. A 14-0 run at the start of the third quarter decided the outcome of the game between Ukraine and Dominican Republic. A close game broke open at that point and the team of coach Mike Fratello got the 72-62 win. Once more, naturalized point guard Pooh Jeter (photo) was the key for Ukraine and the leading scorer with 16 points. Dominicans reacted with a 8-0 run after the 14-0 of the Europeans, but couldn’t change the momentum and despite staying close until the end, didn’t had a real chance for the win.
The first team that scored more than 100 points was of course, USA. The NBAers beart easily Finland (114-55) but the main fact of the game was that they allowed only 2 points in the second quarter! All the players of the USA scored but none more than 18 points!