USA Finish Group Play 3-0 at FIBA U17 Men’s World Cup Following 131-80 Win Over Italy

30 June 2026

USA 131, ITA 80

The USA (3-0) concluded group play at the 2026 FIBA U17 Men’s World Cup with a 131-80 victory over Italy (1-2) in Istanbul. Following the win, the USA moved to 2-0 against Italy and 54-0 all-time in FIBA U17 Men’s World Cup play.

As winners of Group A, the USA now head to the knockout stage tomorrow with a round of 16 matchup vs. the No. 4 team in Group B, with game timing to be announced.

View the USA-Italy box score here.

POSTGAME NOTES

On to the Next: The U.S. earned their third straight 30-point victory today, finishing the group stage with an average margin of victory of 48.0 points (+144). The Americans were locked in on offense throughout group play, averaging 124.7 points while shooting 56.7% (143-252 FG) from the field and 40.2% (35-87 3FG) from 3-point range across three games.

Pouring it On: CJ Rosser finished with a breakout performance in the victory, tallying a game-best 22 points (7-11 FG, 3-5 3FG, 5-6 FT), while adding 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block. Rosser finished with 16 of his 22 in the first half, helping the USA to a commanding 61-33 lead heading into the break.

Doubling Down: Following his 7-block effort vs. Japan, Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje stuffed the stat sheet on both ends of the floor, finishing with his first double-double of the tournament. The big man recorded 16 points (6-13 FG, 4-5 FT), 11 rebounds (4 OR), 4 steals and 2 blocks in 22 minutes.

All About the Fundamentals: The USA excelled in all aspects of the game, finishing with significant advantages in rebounds (62-31), assists (37-20), fast break points (52-24) and second chance points (30-10). Perhaps most impressively, the U.S. poured in 82 points in the paint, outscoring Italy by 54 points in the category.

Defensive Showcase: The stout American defense made things difficult throughout the contest for the Italians, with the U.S. holding their opponent to a 40.6% (28-69 FG) clip from the field and 22.2% (6-27 3FG) mark from downtown. The USA also forced 24 opponent turnovers, with four players recording multiple steals for the red, white and blue. Boumtje Boumtje and Asa Montgomery led the way with 4 steals apiece for the U.S.