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Hot-shooting Lithuania hand USA first World Cup loss

Reuters
Updated
Lithuania have a perfect record
Lithuania have a perfect recordReuters
The United States suffered their first loss in the FIBA Basketball World Cup on Sunday, going down 110-104 to Lithuania in a quarter-final seeding game.

Lithuania led all game long, building a 54-37 lead by half-time through three-pointers, second-chance points, and buckets from Team USA turnovers.

Seven Lithuanians scored in double-digits, led by Vaidas Kariniauskas' 15 points. Anthony Edwards of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves led the United States with 35 points.

Both teams came into the game after winning their previous four tournament games.

Both teams have already qualified for the quarter-finals which start on September 5th. Other countries through to the last eight include Germany and Slovenia.

Lithuania, ranked eighth in the world, go into the next stage with a perfect 5-0 record.

"They played tough defence, they tried to pressure us, they tried to be aggressive against us but we stayed calm and we take the win," Lithuania's center Donatas Motiejunas, who scored nine points, told reporters.

Canada knock out Spain

Canada eliminated defending champions Spain 88-85 and booked their place in the FIBA Basketball World Cup quarter-finals in a thriller on Sunday in Jakarta as the United States suffered their first loss of the tournament in Manila.

Canada's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an NBA All-Star with the Oklahoma City Thunder, scored a game-high 30 points, the most for a Canadian player since 1994.

Spain's Alex Abrines missed a potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer.

FIBA's flagship event, co-hosted by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia, will run until September 10th.