UConn rising sophomore Jeremy Lamb hit the game-winner and dropped a game-high 35 points to lead the USA to a 107-105 victory over Lithuania Tuesday in the FIBA U19 World Championships in Riga, Latvia.
With the game tied at 105, Lamb hit a step-back jumper over 6-foot-11 Jonas Valanciunas with 1.8 seconds to go.
“We ran a little high ball screen with him and Patric Young and he came off the ball screen and once we got the switch Jeremy knew what to do from there,” Team USA head coach Paul Hewitt said by phone from Latvia.
Lamb, who helped UConn win the NCAA title over Butler in April, shot 13 of 23 from the field and 5 of 7 from beyond the 3-point arc.
“He played great today,” Hewitt said. “His approach to the game was very business-like. He prepared great from the scouting report yesterday to this morning. He did a great job moving withtout the basketball. When he’s open, he’s knocking it down.”
Joe Jackson of Memphis added 19 points, Young of Florida scored 15, Doug McDermott of Creighton had 13 and Tim Hardaway Jr. of Michigan added 10, including an alley-oop dunk for one of Jackson’s six assists.
Still, Lamb was the star of the day and his ceiling continues to rise.
“He knows he’s got some things to work on he but the one thing he can do is he can really, really score,” Hewitt said. “He doesn’t shrink in big moments. Big moments he plays his best games.
The USA is now 5-0 overall and clinched the No. 1 overall seed. They play Croatia Wednesday.
