The United States claimed a record fifth straight World University Games men's basketball title Saturday, beating Canada 72-64.
At Palermo's Palailio Arena, guard Earl Boykins from Eastern Michigan led the Americans to their 11th basketball title in 15 appearances, scoring 23 points, including nine straight at one juncture in the first half.The Americans led 35-33 at the half, but David Daniels' jumper capped a spurt that put Canada up 42-38 with 17:20 remaining. Key 3-pointers from Boykins and Valparaiso's Bryce Drew helped tie the score at 48 five minutes later. From there, a 12-3 run gave the U.S. the lead for good at 60-51 with about 8:00 to play.
"We played really tough (defense), but they were hitting a lot of tough shots," said Kentucky's Scott Padgett, who had 11 points with nine rebounds and five assists.
The U.S. has won 32 consecutive outings at the games; its last loss came in the 1987 final against host Yugoslavia.
The penultimate day of the games also saw three event standards fall in track and field, while Slovakian swimmer Martina Moravcova gathered her fourth gold medal of the week, winning the 200-meter individual medley.
Record-setting performances came from Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic, who totaled 8,380 points in the decathlon; Ukrainian Olena Govorova, who tripled jumped 46 feet, 81/4 inches; and Nigeria's Clement Chukwu ran the 400 meters in 44.81 seconds.
Sebrle's total was 32 points higher than West Germany's Sigi Wentz scored at the 1987 games. Govorova, a bronze medalist at the world championships, bettered the old triple jump mark of 14.20 (46-7 1-4 inches), which had stood since 1991. Chukwu clipped 0.17 seconds off the 400 standard set Harald Schmid of West Germany at the 1979 event in Mexico City.
At Messina, Moravcova clocked 2 minutes, 15.55 seconds in the medley to add to her wins in the 100 and 200 freestyles and 100 butterfly. She's won all her country's golds.
And the biggest crowd so far at Cibali Stadium, about 25,000 people, reserved its loudest cheers for an exhibition "Sprint Festival," which saw veterans Frankie Fredericks and Merlene Ottey win 200 meters races.
Italy beat Hungary 5-4 for the water polo gold, but the hosts lost two other team finals, going down to South Korea 15-7, 15-11, 16-14 in men's volleyball and to Hungary 45-33 in the women's team foil.
Japan picked up gold and bronze in the men's 200 medley, and ended the U.S. winning streak in relays at four by taking the 400-meter medley ahead of the Americans. Cuba's Neisser Bent, first in the 100 backstroke Thursday, failed to add the 200 title, finishing second to Italy's Emanuele Merisi.
Elsewhere, the track and field competition saw Britain gain its first medal when Allison Curbishley won the women's 400, and Netherlands claim its first gold when Kamiel Maase triumphed in the men's 10,000.
Cuba's Isel Lopez won the women's javelin toss ahead of countrywoman Sonia Bisset, and the country also won a silver in the triple jump and bronze in the women's 400.