Jackson, Spear Earn Silver At FIBA AmeriCup

LEÓN, MEXICO – Tennessee standout Rickea Jackson scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds, but it wasn't enough as the USA dropped the FIBA AmeriCup gold medal game to a veteran Brazil squad, 69-58, on Sunday night at Domo de la Feria.

Both teams were playing their seventh game in nine days and met for the second time during the event. The Brazilians, featuring a roster of players who will most likely represent their country in the next Olympics, had won the first meeting vs. USA on July 4 in Group A play, 67-54.

It is the sixth AmeriCup title for Brazil, which won its first gold since 2011. For the Americans, the youngest team in the tournament with an average age of 20, the runner-up effort earned them their sixth medal in the history of the tourney. They have four golds and two silvers now to their credit all-time.

Jackson finished 10 of 18 shooting from the field with a steal and a block in a team-high 32 minutes. Lady Vol teammate Jewel Spear hit a pair of threes to finish with six points and added an assist in 19 minutes of duty. Jackson finished the tournament averaging 14.6 ppg. and 4.9 rpg., while Spear produced 5.6 ppg. and 1.4 apg. over seven contests. Jackson's scoring average was fourth among the 109 players seeing action in the 2023 event, earning her a spot in the AmeriCup All-Star Five. Her 102 points for the week are the second-most in USA AmeriCup history behind Lisa Leslie (129, 7 games, 1993).

Jackson was on fire from the get-go, firing in 10 of the USA's points en route to a 16-14 lead after the opening stanza. She scored her team's first two buckets of the game and then added two more to tie it up at 14 inside a minute to play, and then pushed her team ahead with a put-back at the buzzer.

In the second stanza, Jackson continued her roll and Spear joined in as well, with the Lady Vols knocking down back-to-back threes to help the USA move back in front after falling behind 20-19. A Jackson trey from the top of the key boosted her team into a 24-22 lead at the 5:14 mark, and Spear nailed a long ball from the left corner on the next trip down the court to make it 27-23 with 4:37 remaining.

USA would lead by as many as seven in the second quarter at 31-24, but Brazil responded. Jackson staved off a mini run by the opposition with a shot off the glass to make it 33-27 with 2:16 showing on the clock. She later sent the Americans into the locker room with a free-throw-line jumper for her second buzzer-beater of the night to finish the first half with 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor.

Jackson opened the second half with a layup to boost the advantage to four, 39-35. Brazil, though answered with a 10-2 run to pull ahead, 45-39. The USA was unable to find an answer in the third period, getting outscored 25-10 by the Brazilians to fall behind 60-47 entering the final frame.

A Jackson put-back and the first points of the fourth quarter by either team at the 8:51 mark trimmed the gap to 60-49. Spear added her second three of the contest to help the USA outscore Brazil over the last 10 minutes, 11-9, but USA was unable to generate enough offense to erase the deficit.

University of Tennessee Athletics

Players Mentioned

Rickea Jackson

Jewel Spear

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