This is the biggest tournament we have, and we know we’re going to get every team’s best shot,” said Team USA’s Trevon Jenifer. “Spain gave us a tough game right out of the gate, so we had to take care of business.”The game started evenly, with both teams trading the first four baskets. However, Jake Williams soon hit back-to-back three-pointers, putting the Americans up 10-6 less than four minutes in. After a second-chance basket from Jenifer, Spain responded with a three-pointer, narrowing the deficit to just one point. Spain nearly took the lead but missed a layup, ending the first quarter 18-17 in favor of the Americans. Williams was dominant, scoring eight points and adding two rebounds and two assists in the opening quarter.The second quarter continued the back-and-forth action. Jenifer quickly scored, but Spain answered right away, taking their first lead with 5:25 left in the period. However, Matt Scott banked in a shot off the glass to regain the lead at 24-23. Although Spain never led again, the United States couldn’t pull away by more than two possessions, entering halftime with a slim 32-29 advantage.
Spain is an all-world team,” said five-time Paralympian and team captain Steve Serio. “We knew they’d bring their best. We have a lot of room to grow, but we’ll review the game tape and work to improve.”
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