Nikki Speed Makes First Showing for Team USA
Jul 23 | Women's Basketball
BUENO AIRES, Argentina - Rutgers bound freshman Nikki Speed (Marlborough, Calif.) contributed 10 points and five assists as USA Basketball U18 National Team commenced play at the 2008 FIBA Americas Championship with a 112-48 victory over Venezuela on Wednesday.
"I think the big score will just pick us up even more for tomorrow, not make us overconfident," Speed said on the USA Basketball web site. "Of course it does feel good to win, and we can celebrate that for a little while. But tomorrow is another game, and this one doesn't matter anymore, especially the score."
Speed shot 5-of-7 from the field and registered three steals in 18 minutes of action. Every player on the U.S. team scored and six tallied double figures in the well-balanced attack.
Speed's appearance on the squad marks the ninth straight summer that a current or future Scarlet Knight has played internationally for the Red, White and Blue. Rising senior Kia Vaughn (Bronx, N.Y.) and former Scarlet Knight standout Essence Carson (Paterson, N.J.) captured gold medals competing on the U20 and U 21 squads the past two years.
The USA next plays Canada on July 24 at 3 p.m. local time (4 p.m. EDT); followed by Puerto Rico at 5 p.m. on July 25; Brazil at 3 p.m. on July 26; and Argentina at 7 p.m. on July 27.
