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US tops Cuba, ends 1st Basketball World Cup qualifying round

HAVANA (AP) — The U.S. finished first-round qualifying for the Basketball World Cup on Sunday by beating Cuba 93-62.

Reggie Hearn and Xavier Munford each scored 16 points for the Americans, who bounced back from their loss at Mexico on Thursday to finish atop their group with a 5-1 record. The U.S. had already clinched a spot in the second round, which begins in September.

The final game of this stage was the first for the Americans in Havana since 1991, when they earned a bronze medal in the Pan Am Games with a team that included Duke stars Christian Laettner and Grant Hill.

Cuba led 28-24 after the first quarter Sunday before the U.S. quickly seized control with a 19-1 run to start the second.

The Americans plan to continue using G League players in the second round. The new qualifying format featuring regional home-and-away games sends teams to China for the 2019 World Cup, which will be used as a qualifier for the 2020 Olympics.

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