USA Earn 128-66 Victory Over Japan, Improve to 2-0 at FIBA U17 Men’s World Cup

28 June 2026

USA 128, JPN 66

The USA (2-0) continued group play at the 2026 FIBA U17 Men’s World Cup with a 128-66 victory over Japan (0-2) in Istanbul. Following the victory, the USA moved to 2-0 against Japan and 53-0 all-time in FIBA U17 Men’s World Cup play.

The USA will finish out Group A competition against Italy on June 30 at 5 a.m. ET, with the knockout stage set to begin July 1.

View the USA-Japan box score here.

POSTGAME NOTES

Out of the Gates: Following a back-and-forth first quarter which saw the USA hold a 10-point lead entering the second stanza, Japan fought back to cut the deficit to five (27-22) to open the second quarter. However, the U.S. immediately responded, going on a 24-5 run from that point and eventually finishing the first half on a 34-11 run to take a commanding 61-33 lead into the halftime break.

Beckham’s World: For the second consecutive game, Beckham Black helped lead the way on the offensive end for the stars and stripes, finishing with a double-double with 19 points (7-11 FG, 3-5 3FG, 2-2 FT) and 10 assists along with 3 rebounds and 4 steals.

Bucket Getter: AJ Williams, celebrating his birthday, posted an all-around scoring effort in the victory, recording a game-best 25 points (7-10 FG, 5-6 3FG, 6-6 FT) off the bench to go along with 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Williams’ 3-point barrage marked the second consecutive game a U.S. player nailed 5+ 3s (Black, 5 vs. FRA).

Block Party: The U.S. defense was anchored by Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, who recorded a U.S. single-game record with 7 blocks in the win. Boumtje Boumtje finished the first half with 6 blocks, tying the record set by Diamond Stone in the 2014 edition of the competition. The big man added to his record stat line with 16 points (7-8 FG, 2-3 3FG), 7 rebounds and 1 steal.

Pure Efficiency: The U.S. were locked in from all areas of the court on offense, finishing with a 64.9% (48-74 FG) mark from the field and 51.6% (16-31 3FG) clip from distance in the blowout win. The USA’s 16 3-pointers marked a new U.S. U17 record (previously 13, 7/2/24 vs. CHN).

Interior Presence: The USA made their presence felt on the inside, outscoring Japan in the paint 64-36. The red, white and blue also held a healthy advantage on the glass, outrebounding the Japanese 51-30. Erick Dampier Jr. led the U.S. on the boards, finishing with 11.