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    • US men’s wheelchair basketball team defeats Spain in Paralympic Games opener
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    US men’s wheelchair basketball team defeats Spain in Paralympic Games opener

    Vaseline Posted on

    Gabriele Jackson
    | Special for USA TODAY

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    PARIS — In a repeat of their two previous meetings this summer, which saw the United States win 61-57 and 70-65, Team USA defeated Spain again 66-56 in a thrilling opening match of the Paralympic Games at the Bercy Arena on Thursday afternoon.

    “We’re talking about the best of the best right now,” Team USA’s Trevon Jenifer said of the two teams. “This is the biggest tournament we have, so we know we’re going to get the best of a team here, so we had to come out there and take care of business. Spain gave us a really good game for our first game.”

    The game remained close at first, as both teams scored the first four points before Jake Williams connected on two consecutive three-pointers to put the Americans ahead 10-6 within four minutes.

    After a second chance from Jennifer, Spain scored a three-pointer, reducing the deficit to one point. They almost took the lead, but they missed the layup and the first period ended 18-17 in favor of the Americans.

    Williams was all over the court, scoring eight points, grabbing two rebounds and dishing out two assists in the first quarter alone.

    The second quarter picked up where the first quarter left off, with Jenifer scoring two quick points before Spain immediately clawed back the points to take their first lead with 5:25 left in the period. However, Bell immediately hit one off the glass to regain the lead at 24-23.

    Although that was the only lead for Spain, the United States failed to pull away more than twice, going into halftime with a 32-29 lead.

    “Spain is an all-world team,” said five-time Paralympian and team captain Steve Serio. “We knew Spain was always good. They’re not an opponent you can overlook. We definitely have a lot of room to grow, but we’ll go back and watch the game footage and get better.”

    In the third quarter, Team USA began to pull away when Serio’s and-one play at 7:36 gave them a 36-29 lead. Spain continued to fight back, but the Americans maintained a comfortable margin. Jennifer’s fast break score with 3:01 left in the period extended the lead to eight.

    Team USA took a 46-40 lead in the fourth quarter before Spain made a late push and cut the lead to just one possession with just over six minutes remaining. The Americans held on, however, and secured the victory with a final score of 66-56.

    Jake Williams led the way with 22 points and seven assists, but said this is just the beginning.

    “Everyone is excited to get into the first game,” Williams said. “We play Spain a lot in these tournaments so we know what to expect.”

    The win puts Team USA in a good position for the remainder of the group stage, where they play the Netherlands on Saturday at 10 a.m. Dutch time.

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