Aug. 16, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State freshman Candice Agee (Victorville, Calif./Silverado) scored four points and grabbed four rebounds as Team USA earned a 68-28 victory over Argentina in its second preliminary round game of the FIBA Americas U18 Championship on Thursday. With the victory, Team USA is now 2-0 in preliminary action. Agee and her team will finish up group play tomorrow at 3:45 p.m. ET against Columbia.
Agee, who also added an assist in the victory, has scored a total of 15 points (7.5) to go along with eight rebounds (4.0) in her first two contests with Team USA. The Victorville, Calif. native was coming off an 11-point and four rebound performance yesterday in a dominant 99-26 victory over Puerto Rico. Agee was Team USA's third leading scorer against Puerto Rico. She was added to the 2012 USA Basketball U18 National Team on Aug. 3. The Championship runs until Aug. 19 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Team USA will face Colombia at 3:45 p.m. on Friday to wrap up preliminary pool play. With a victory, Team USA would clinch a spot in the medal semifinals, which are slated for Saturday. Winners of the semifinals will compete in the gold medal game to be played on Sunday. Fans interested in watching Agee and Team USA in action for all games can catch it online as FIBAAmericas.com will provide live streaming and live online statistics for all four games each day.
The 6-6 Agee, who is the first Lady Lion player to don the red, white and blue since Tanisha Wright played on the US Young Women's Team in 2003, was ranked 34th by ESPN/HoopGurlz, 38th by Collegiate Girls Report, 17th by Blue Star Basketball and 40th by All-Star Girls Report and Peach State as a high school senior. Agee is the fourth McDonald's All-American in school history and is one of three McDonald's honorees on the 2012-13 Lady Lion roster, joining Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.) and Dara Taylor (Wilmington, Del.). Agee tallied seven points and seven rebounds in the McDonald's High School All-America game in April. She is also a 2012 WBCA High School All-America honorable mention. She is a three-time Desert Sky League first team selection and was the league's Most Valuable Player as a junior. Additionally, she was the Daily Press Girls' Athlete of the Year. Agee was named to the All-Region first team as a junior. The center played her AAU ball with West Coast Premier. Agee also plays volleyball at Silverado High School.
The 12-member squad, in addition to Agee, includes 2011 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year Breanna Stewart (Cicero-North H.S./North Syracuse, N.Y.); Bashaara Graves (Clarksville H.S./Clarksville, Tenn.); Morgan Tuck (Bolingbrook H.S./ Bolingbrook, Ill.); Jannah Tucker (New Town H.S./Randallstown, Md.); Moriah Jefferson (Texas Home Educators Sports Association/Glenn Heights, Texas); Alexis Prince (Edgewater/Orlando, Fla.); Kendall Cooper (St. Anthony H.S./Carson, Calif.); Allisha Gray (Washington County H.S/Sandersville, Ga.); Lexie Brown (North Gwinnett H.S./Suwanee, Ga.); Michaela Mabrey (Manasquan H.S./Belmar, N.J.) and Brittney Sykes (University H.S./Newark, N.J.).
University of Miami head coach Katie Meier will serve as head coach of the U18 squad, while collegiate head coaches Nikki Caldwell of Louisiana State University and Kelly Graves of Gonzaga University will act as assistant coaches.
FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women Originally known as the FIBA Americas Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament, the event was held every four years beginning in 1988. FIBA changed its calendar and the tournament is now conducted every other year, followed in the next summer by the FIBA U19 World Championship.
USA women's teams boast of a remarkable 40-2 overall record in U18/Junior Qualifiers and have won gold in 1988, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, while capturing silver medals in 1992 and 1996. In fact, the USA has not lost a game at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship since 1996 and is riding a 26-0 winning streak into this year's competition.
Some of the athletes who have represented the U.S. in this event in the past include: Jayne Appel (2006); Alana Beard (2000); Kelsey Bone (2008); Tamika Catchings (1996); Marissa Coleman (2004); Skylar Diggins (2008); Sonja Henning (1988); Niesa Johnson (1992); Rebecca Lobo (1992); Maya Moore (2006); Chiney Ogwumike (2010); Nneka Ogwumike (2008); Candace Parker (2004); Courtney Paris (2004); Cappie Pondexter (2000); Nicole Powell (2000); Lynn Pride (1996); Diana Taurasi (2000); and Candice Wiggins (2004).
Connect with USA Basketball online at usabasketball.com, facebook.com/usabasketball, twitter.com/usabasketball and www.youtube.com/therealusabasketball.
The Lady Lions are on Twitter. Follow sports information contact Kris Petersen (@ladylionsid) and the Lady Lions and coaches (@pennstatewbb) to get the inside scoop. The Lady Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstateladylions.