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Jeff Walz continues his winning ways, leading the USA to gold in Mexico City.

Made it look easy they did, Jeff Walz and his United States basketball team in winning the International Basketball Federation’s world championship for women under 18 in Mexico City.

Walz, the University of Louisville women’s basketball coach, guided the USA team to the gold medal with an 84-60 win over Canada on Tuesday.  His teams are undefeated with a 9-0 record, including three wins in a Tokyo tournament last year.

UofL is recruiting two players on the team for the 2019 class. Aijah Blackwell, a six-foot guard from Whitfield School in Berkeley, Missouri, had eight points and four rebounds in the championship game. Maori Davenport, a 6-foot-4 forward from Henderson, Alabama, had seven points and six rebounds.  

The USA team averaged 93.2 per game, winning by an average of 47.5 points per outing, out-rebounding the opposition by 29.5 rebounds, while allowing 15 fewer points on average than any other team.

Game by game:

USA 87, Argentina 42
USA 115, Chile 39
USA 103, Puerto Rico 59
USA 87, El Salvador 27
USA 83, Columbia 47
USA 84, Canada 60 (Championship)

A well-rounded offensive attack, with nine players averaging between seven and 10 points per game. “I thought the players did an outstanding job of looking for each other, instead of looking to make things happen for themselves,” Walz said. “They were trying to get their teammates involved.”

Take a bow, coach. You earned it.

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By Charlie Springer

Charlie Springer is a former Louisville editor and sportswriter, a public affairs consultant, a UofL grad and longtime fan.