Grandview’s Lauren Betts helps U.S. under-16 team win gold at FIBA Americas
Grandview’s Lauren Betts helped the United States’ under-16 women’s national team capture the gold medal at the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championships on Saturday.
Betts, who will be a sophomore in the fall, had a game-high 14 rebounds and six points in a team-high 21 minutes as the Americans beat Canada 87-37. The U.S. team jumped out to a 24-2 lead after the first quarter, and finished the tournament a perfect 6-0 in Chile.
“We were really just trying to make sure that we rebounded well,” Betts told USAB.com after the game. “That is was one of Canada’s biggest strengths. We really pressured well. We all worked together. We really wanted it, so we just made sure that we worked hard together as a team.”
In starting all six games, Betts averaged 13.5 rebounds per game, which set a U.S. U16 team record, along with 12.2 points and 2.5 blocks per game. Her 13.5 rebounds per game were second among all players in the tournament, as were her 2.5 blocks per game, and she shot 58.6 percent from the field, which tied for second.
She also pulled down 5.33 offensive rebounds per game, most of any player in the tournament.
Not surprisingly, Betts was named to the All-Tournament team.
“I’m just so thankful for it,” Betts said of being named to the team. “To be playing against all of these awesome girls, and to be able to stand out like that and become all-tournament, that is really amazing.”
As a 6-foot-7 freshman last season, Betts helped Grandview girls basketball reach the Class 5A title game. She was named honorable mention all-state after a season in that she averaged 12.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game.
Betts also helped Grandview’s volleyball team reach the 5A state tournament, and recorded 112 blocks in 109 sets played.
