The United States remained unbeaten in the under-19 World Basketball Championship, defeating Lithuania 76-69 today at Auckland, New Zealand.
Butler’s Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack scored five points each for Team USA (6-0).

The Americans finished first in the six-team Group E and will play Canada (3-3) in a quarterfinal at 4:30 a.m. Friday (Indianapolis time). Australia (6-0) won the other group, Group F, by beating Croatia 79-74 today.

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The USA/Canada winner will play Croatia (5-1) or Puerto Rico (4-2) in a semifinal Saturday.

The two other quarterfinals are Greece (4-2) vs. Argentina (3-3) and France (3-3) vs. Australia.

Kansas’ Tyshawn Taylor scored 13 points and Washington State’s Klay Thompson and Kentucky’s Darius Miller 10 each against Lithuania (3-3). The Americans led 18-16 in the first period before Lithuania rallied to tie it at 36 heading into halftime.

Lithuania took a 43-40 lead before the Americans pulled ahead for a 55-51 lead after the third quarter. The United States made only 30 of 70 shots from the field, including 7-of-22 on 3-point attempts.

Hayward, the Americans’ leading rebounder in the tournament, led them against Lithuana with eight.

In 21 minutes, he was 2-of-7 from the field, 0-of-4 on 3s and had one assist and three steals.

Mack was 2-of-5 from the field, 1-of-2 on 3s with two rebounds and one steal in 16 minutes.

Tautvydas Julius Slezas led Lithuania with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Butler’s Shelvin Mack and Gordon Hayward have been solid contributors to Team USA.

Matthew Dellavedova led all scorers with 17 points for Australia against Croatia, which is likely to face Puerto Rico, a 99-71 winner over Egypt, in the quarterfinals Friday.

Australia trailed 24-19 after the first quarter and 37-34 at halftime before outscoring Croatia 45-37 the rest of the way. Cody Ellis scored 14 points and pulled down four rebounds while Brock Motum and Mitchell Young each had 10 points.

Toni Prostran and Tominslav Zubcic led Croatia with 14 points apiece.

Canada beat top-ranked Argentina 67-57 in one of the upsets of the second round.