July 26, 1999
EVANSTON, Ill. - - The United States Men's Junior World Championship team was upset by Spain 94-87 Sunday in the gold medal game of the 1999 Men's Junior World Championships in Portugal. The Americans finished with a 7-1 record in the tournament.
Northwestern sophomore forward Steve Lepore (North Olmsted, Ohio/St. Edward) scored eight points in the gold medal game on 3-of-4 shooting, 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Lepore was hampered by foul trouble as was most of the U.S. team. The game was won from the free-throw line as the Americans notched 32 fouls, resulting in Spain making 29 of its 39 attempts from the line. On the opposite end, the United States earned 18 points from the line, on 18-of-22 shooting, which came from 18 fouls by Spain.
In the semifinal against Croatia, Lepore hit four three pointers helping the Americans set a single-game record for three-pointers with nine. Lepore finished with 12 points and three rebounds in 26 minutes of action.
For complete stories of the U.S. Junior Team, log on to the USA Basketball website at www.usabasketball.com.