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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – July 24, 2025<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">Team USA MBB Will Play for Gold After Come-From-Behind Win Over Team Lithuania, 72-64<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Team USA goes on 18-2 run in fourth quarter to play for championship<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Josie Hutton; 254-709-7720,
</span><a href="mailto:josie_hutton@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">josie_hutton@baylor.edu</span></a><u><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:blue"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">ESSEN, Germany –</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> After being down near the entirety of the semifinal matchup against Team Lithuania,
Team USA, represented by Baylor men’s basketball, found a way with grit and determination to advance to the championship game of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games on Thursday night, coming from behind to win 72-64.
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">The fourth quarter played a crucial turning point for Team USA, as America outscored Lithuania 22-7 in the final 10 minutes at Grugahalle. Big buckets from JJ White, who went
three-for-six from behind the arc, and Dan Skillings Jr., who led the team with a double-double of 17 points and 13 clutch boards, were the keys to success for USA to put on an 18-2 run to take the lead and advance themselves to play for gold.
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Team USA (5-0) will turn its focus on Team Brazil (5-0) in the battle for a gold medal on Saturday, July 26th, at 8 p.m. local time (1 p.m. CT).
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">THE RUNDOWN<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Team Lithuania (4-1) made the first two baskets of the night, the first time in four games that Team USA began trailing However, a jumper and a lob up top to Cameron Carr put
USA on the board. But Lithuania didn’t let down easily, going up by 13 points with less than five minutes left of the first quarter.
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">USA kept working, cutting its deficit to six points with the help of an all-out effort rebound from Skillings, leading to a three from Obi Agbim to end the first quarter 22-16,
Lithuania. Agbim finished the night with 12 points, eight rebounds and team-leading five assists.
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Both teams came out slow in the second quarter, only scoring four points each after the first five minutes of play. Team USA outscored Team Lithuania in the second quarter
15-13, chipping away at the lead. The pace of play was tough to maintain through the first half as a total of 28 fouls were drawn between the two teams. At the half, USA trailed 35-31.
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">A reverse layup by Skillings followed by an and-one gave Team USA a spark to keep chipping away, only trailing by one possession. Carr kept USA in the battle, reaching 14 points
at the end of the third. Samson Aletan of Yale gave USA some crucial buckets and offensive rebounds, hitting double-digits for the first time in the tournament. Heading into the final 10 minutes, USA still fell behind 57-50.
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">The fourth quarter is where Team USA finally found its groove, going on a massive 18-2 run. A second-chance bucket from behind the arc for Agbim put USA in reach, only trailing
by three. A crucial three by White put USA tied at 59-all. Two big buckets by Skillings and Caden Powell gave USA the lead for the first time of the night with 4:25 left in the game, 63-59. USA didn’t let up, going up by as much as nine points to survive and
advance to the championship, 72-64. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">WHAT’S NEXT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Team USA (5-0) will take an off day before turning its focus on Team Brazil (5-0) in the battle for a gold medal on Saturday, July 26th, at 8 p.m. local time (1 p.m. CT). Fans
can follow along on FISU.tv or Baylor Radio. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><a href="http://www.baylorbears/"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">- BaylorBears</span></i></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">.com</span></i></span><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">
-<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#0F5C1A">Josie Hutton</span></b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (MBB, MTEN) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">C: (254) 709-7720<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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