Spartan Basketball Star Aerial Powers Captures Gold As USA Stops Canada in World University Games

Aerial Powers scores 27 points as the U.S. finishes a perfect 6-0 record. GWANGJU, South Korea - With her strongest offensive performance, Michigan State

Aerial Powers scores 27 points as the U.S. finishes a perfect 6-0 record.

GWANGJU, South Korea - With her strongest offensive performance, Michigan State women’s basketball player Aerial Powers led the United States to a gold medal in the World University Games with a win over Canada, 82-63, on Monday

“It feels great, and I’m so excited,” said Powers. “I’m on cloud nine. I can’t stop smiling from ear-to-ear. I look at this thing and see all the hard work we put into it. Many don’t get the chance to say they played for the USA, and many don’t get to say they won a gold medal.”

Powers led the team with 27 points, and she finished with nine rebounds. Powers also led the team in scoring for the tournament with 18.0 points per game on 51.4 percent shooting from the floor. She averaged 6.0 rebounds per game in six games.

The United States finished with a perfect 6-0 record after going 3-0 in the group stage and sweeping through the medal round. USA Basketball women’s teams have participated in 18 World University Games and collected a record 10 golds, six silvers and one bronze medal. Team USA has won gold medals in the past six World University Games in which it has competed (2001, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015).

“It’s a great honor,” said USA head coach Joe McKeown (Northwestern). “It’s a great honor to represent the USA and to be able to coach this group. To see them gel together in a short period of time and play as well as they did together over here was really fortunate for all of us.”

Once again, the game was very close after the first quarter, with the USA holding just a two-point lead, 13-11. After a strong second quarter, the U.S. opened up a 31-23 lead at half time. In the fourth quarter the United States squad really took control taking as big a lead as 21-points.

The U.S. had eight players score in the gold medal game, led by Powers’ 27 points. South Florida’s Courtney Williams added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the team’s only double-double. UCLA’s Jordan Canada, Stanford’s Erica McCall and Tennessee’s Mercedes Russell all scored nine points in the final game.

As a team, the United States dominated the opposition on the glass with a rebounding margin of +17.2 in six games. The team had 116 offensive rebounds and 199 defensive rebounds en route to capturing the gold medal.

Powers is the first Spartan women’s basketball players to represent the United States since Allyssa DeHaan helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2007 FIBA U-19 World Championships. Head coach Suzy Merchant was also an assistant coach for the USA Basketball women’s team that won the Gold Medal at the World University Games in 2009.