Marshall University Athletics
Athletes In Action Storms Past Japan
7/8/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
July 8, 2007
AIA Vs. Japan
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TAIPEI, Taiwan --- Athletes In Action made short work of Japan on Sunday rolling to a 108-83 victory on day seven of the 2007 William R. Jones Cup. It was the second time during the tournament that AIA topped 100 points.
With the victory AIA improved to 5-2 in the tournament, while Japan dropped to 1-6 and was eliminated from medal contention.
The Americans remain in contention to repeat as Jones Cup champions, trailing Jordan by one game in the overall standings with two games remaining to be played. AIA will face Taiwan on Monday before concluding competition against Iran on Tuesday.
Brad Harris (Winston-Salem, N.C./Lee University) came off the bench to torch the nets for a game-high 25 points, making 6-of-7 3-point field goal attempts.
Four other AIA players scored double figures as well. Reed Rawlings (Chattanooga, Tenn.) tallied double digit points for the fifth time in the tournament with 16 as did Todd Hendley (Boone, N.C./UNC Wilmington) with 14. Brian Asbury (Miami, Fla./Miami) added 11 points and Tyler Wilkerson (Lexington, Ky./Marshall) scored 10. Wilkerson was four-of-six from the floor and also added five rebounds in 17 minutes of action.
The two teams combined for 17 total 3-point field goals made, but it was the U.S. that was more selective and accurate with its attempts. The U.S. shot 50 percent (13-of-26) from behind the arc, while Japan made 39 percent (14-of-36) its extra point shots.
The Japanese took eight more attempts from 3 than they did inside the arc.
AIA dominated the glass, limiting Japan to just six offensive rebounds and out-rebounding them by more than 30.
Eric Pollitz (Ottawa, Ohio/Miami University) grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and nearly recorded a triple-double as he finished with eight points and seven assists. Asbury had eight rebounds in the victory with five additional players having at least four rebounds.
Japan kept the game close early in the first quarter, but as the U.S. forced the tempo its lead continued to grow as it scored a tournament-high 36 first quarter points en route to a 12-point lead at the end of the first period.
The U.S. wasted little time extending its lead at the start of the second quarter, out-scoring their foe 11-3 to push its lead to 20, 47-27, in the first five minutes.
Harris put on a shooting clinic in the second period, making 4-of-5 3-point attempts and scoring 14 of the team's 29 second quarter points.
Harris scored nine consecutive points on 3s to give AIA a 29-point cushion with under two minutes remaining in the half.
AIA led 65-34 at intermission.
Refusing to simply roll over, Japan scored the first 11 points of the second half to cut its deficit to 20 and then pulled within 15 with 1:18 left in the third.
Leading by 17 after three quarters, AIA reestablished itself at the start of fourth. Seven points from Rawlings and a pair of 3s from Asbury and Darris Nichols (Radford, Va./West Virginia) gave AIA a comfortable 88-61 advantage in the first three minutes of the quarter and cruised home for the victory.
