Team USA moves onto quarterfinals after big win over China

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Jacob Rice

T.J. Otzelberger watches the Cyclone offense during the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals, 78-72, Mar. 9, 2023.

Team USA will move on to the second round of the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup after taking down China 92-69 Wednesday morning.

It was a combined effort from every player on Team USA that helped rocket them over China in dominant fashion. Four players scored over 10 points with four more needing just one more basket to crack double-digits.

Iowa State’s Omaha Biliew had his quietest day of the World Cup so far, putting up no points but ending with a rebound and a block. Biliew’s block came with 30 seconds left in the game.

As a China defender drove to the rim, Biliew swatted the ball to solidify the victory. Biliew’s quiet night was due to his lack of playing time. He played less than 10 minutes, which was the least on the team.

His lack of playing time was also due to the four personal fouls he picked up early in the game. Sitting in foul trouble, Biliew didn’t see the floor as much as he did in pool play.

Biliew showed off in each of Team USA’s pool play games, so there is a chance he will figure out what went wrong and correct it before the next round of the tournament. If Biliew can stay on the court and find his rhythm, he could be tough to stop.

Team USA will take on Japan on Friday in the quarterfinals of the FIBA World Cup. Japan went 1-2 in Group C, beating Egypt but losing to Brazil and Serbia. Japan is coming off a close 63-53 win over Hungary.