University of Tennessee Athletics
Jackson’s Late Buckets Lift USA Past Canada, 67-63
July 09, 2023 | Women's Basketball
LEÓN, MEXICO – Tennessee's Rickea Jackson overcame foul trouble to hit a pair of late buckets and lift the USA to a dramatic 67-63 victory over Canada in the FIBA AmeriCup semifinals on Saturday night at Domo de la Feria.
The Americans (5-1) will meet Brazil (6-0) for the gold medal on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET. The USA suffered a 67-54 setback the first time these squads met in León on Tuesday.
Jackson played only 17 minutes in the contest on Saturday after picking up two fouls in the first quarter and her third and fourth infractions early in the third period. Despite that, she fired in 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and was one of two from the charity stripe. She also pulled down six rebounds, including the final one on an errant three-point shot by Canada with seconds remaining.
Fellow Lady Vol Jewel Spear saw 20 minutes of action, carding two points, a rebound and an assist.
Canada tied the game at 56 with just under eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter and again at 58 with 6:35 remaining. It finally took the lead, 61-58, with 6:03 left, forcing a USA timeout and the signal for Jackson to check back into the game.
With the USA struggling offensively, it turned up its defense a notch, limiting the Canadians to only five points the rest of the way. Jackson, meanwhile, helped her team get going on the other end, hitting a mid-range shot to put the USA back in front with 4:33 to go, 62-61. She then came through with a lay-up at the 1:59 mark to boost the score to 66-63 and provide the Americans a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The USA had carved out a 22-17 edge after the opening 10 minutes of play. Jackson contributed four points to that lead on a pair of field goals, but the team's leading scorer in the tournament had to head to the bench early after picking up two fouls in only 3:42 minutes of court time.
After Canada cut the American lead to 22-21 early in the second stanza, Jackson propelled her team back into a 25-21 advantage with a layup and a one-of-two shooting effort at the free-throw line. USA would build as much as a 12-point lead in the period before taking a 39-29 count into the intermission. Jackson's 3-for-3 showing from the field helped her squad shoot 50 percent (15-30) in the first half.
Canada cut the USA edge to one at two different points in the third stanza while Jackson was on the bench with four fouls. With her team holding a slim 47-46 margin, Spear hit a pair of free throws to start her team on a 6-0 run toward a 53-46 lead with 1:25 to go in the period. Canada would outscore the Americans 4-1 the rest of the way to enter the final 10 minutes of the contest trailing by only four, 54-50.
HONORING McCRAY-PENSON: Before tipping off, the life of LVFL and USA Olympic and World Cup champion Nikki McCray-Penson, who passed away Friday at age 51, was honored with a moment of silence.
The Americans (5-1) will meet Brazil (6-0) for the gold medal on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET. The USA suffered a 67-54 setback the first time these squads met in León on Tuesday.
Jackson played only 17 minutes in the contest on Saturday after picking up two fouls in the first quarter and her third and fourth infractions early in the third period. Despite that, she fired in 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and was one of two from the charity stripe. She also pulled down six rebounds, including the final one on an errant three-point shot by Canada with seconds remaining.
Fellow Lady Vol Jewel Spear saw 20 minutes of action, carding two points, a rebound and an assist.
Canada tied the game at 56 with just under eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter and again at 58 with 6:35 remaining. It finally took the lead, 61-58, with 6:03 left, forcing a USA timeout and the signal for Jackson to check back into the game.
With the USA struggling offensively, it turned up its defense a notch, limiting the Canadians to only five points the rest of the way. Jackson, meanwhile, helped her team get going on the other end, hitting a mid-range shot to put the USA back in front with 4:33 to go, 62-61. She then came through with a lay-up at the 1:59 mark to boost the score to 66-63 and provide the Americans a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The USA had carved out a 22-17 edge after the opening 10 minutes of play. Jackson contributed four points to that lead on a pair of field goals, but the team's leading scorer in the tournament had to head to the bench early after picking up two fouls in only 3:42 minutes of court time.
After Canada cut the American lead to 22-21 early in the second stanza, Jackson propelled her team back into a 25-21 advantage with a layup and a one-of-two shooting effort at the free-throw line. USA would build as much as a 12-point lead in the period before taking a 39-29 count into the intermission. Jackson's 3-for-3 showing from the field helped her squad shoot 50 percent (15-30) in the first half.
Canada cut the USA edge to one at two different points in the third stanza while Jackson was on the bench with four fouls. With her team holding a slim 47-46 margin, Spear hit a pair of free throws to start her team on a 6-0 run toward a 53-46 lead with 1:25 to go in the period. Canada would outscore the Americans 4-1 the rest of the way to enter the final 10 minutes of the contest trailing by only four, 54-50.
HONORING McCRAY-PENSON: Before tipping off, the life of LVFL and USA Olympic and World Cup champion Nikki McCray-Penson, who passed away Friday at age 51, was honored with a moment of silence.
Players Mentioned
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