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The Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde showing by the USA continued Wednesday night at the FIBA Americas Men's World Championship Qualifying Tournament as Argentina (4-1) pulled away late and went on to record an 84-67 victory. The win improved Argentina to 4-1 in the second round standings and the Americans' record fell to 3-2.

The USA continues second round play Thursday facing Uruguay (0-5), who narrowly fell 101-99 to Venezuela (4-1) in the day's opening game. In other second round play Wednesday, Puerto Rico (2-3) finished strong to take a 107-101 double overtime victory from Brazil (3-2).

The tournament's top four finishing teams (in addition to Argentina who has already qualified by virtue of winning the 2004 Olympics) will automatically qualify for the 2006 FIBA World Championship that is being held in Japan (Aug.19-Sept. 3, 2006).

"Once again we came out after a great game and we were really flat and didn't shoot the ball well," said USA head coach Mo McHone. "Argentina came out with an adjustment and played us with a box-and-one against Charlie Bell and I didn't think we handled it very well. "We had a lot of wide open shots, a lot of easy shots and just didn't make them. We didn't have the energy and that's been a problem we've had. Every time we've played well we've come back with a flat effort and I just don't understand it.

"Argentina really controlled the tempo of the game. They came out and made it a very slow game, it was not a very exciting game, and it wasn't a fun game to watch. It was kind of an ugly game and they out uglied us I guess is the way I see it."

The first two quarters saw neither team shoot well. Following a Charlie Bell (Leche Rio-Spain/Michigan State ‘01) jumper that gave the U.S. a 12-10 advantage, Argentina went on an 8-0 run during which Herman Jansen scored six points to take an 18-12 lead.

Ahead 18-14 at the end of the first quarter, Argentina's lead ballooned to 26-18. With Jerome Beasley (Sioux Falls-CBS/North Dakota ‘03) scoring four points during an 8-2 USA run, the Americans pulled within two, 28-26, with 1:33 before half. However, Argentina connected on a pair of 3-pointers to close out the first half and take a 34-26 lead to the locker room.

The USA managed to make just 10-of-32 shots (31%) in the first 20 minutes, while Argentina fared slightly better making 14-of-34 shots (41%).

Argentina moved out ahead 47-39 following a 3-pointer from Paolo Quinteros, but the U.S. struck back and following seven straight points the USA was within a point, 47-46 with 2:04 to play in the third period.

With Argentina leading 50-48 and 1:27 in the third, Argentina outscored the U.S, 5-2 to take a 55-50 lead into the game's final 10 minutes. Holding a 59-53 lead with 6:44 to go, Argentina expanded its lead to 66-56 after out gunning the U.S. 7-3 in a span of just over two minutes.

Argentina led 66-59 with 4:16 left and sealed the victory after three different players hit three consecutive 3-point shots to push its lead to 75-61.

"They played as a team and tonight it seemed like we didn't play very well as a team. We didn't play with intensity, they played a lot harder then we did and they hit shots. I don't know what we were from the field but I have a feeling we didn't have a very good percentage," stated Kris Lang (Unicaja Malaga-Spain/North Carolina ‘02).

"Once they started hitting the big shots like that, that's when playing team ball and playing together becomes very important. They kept playing as a team and we didn't and that's when they broke away."

The USA shot just 35.4 percent (23-65 FGs) and a lowly 21.1 percent (4-19 3pt FGs) from 3-point, while Argentina finished making 45.6 percent (31-68 FGs) of its field goal attempts.

The USA got 11 points from Lang and Tyus Edney (Lottomatica Roma-Italy/UCLA ‘95), while Bell ended with 10 points. The U.S. outrebounded Argentina 41-36, and Tang Hamilton (Fayetteville-NBA Development League/Mississippi State ‘01) led the U.S. effort on the glass with 11 boards.

Argentina was led by Quinteros who finished with 21 points, while Leonardo Gutierrez added 14 points.

With two second round game still remaining, Lang knows the USA must quickly regroup.

"Uruguay is a very good team, they play hard and they probably play as a team better than anyone here. They have a very good big man inside so we're going to have a tough challenge but we're going to be ready for it," Lang noted.

2005 FIBA Americas World Championship Qualifier

McHone is head coach of the USA contingent, assist him are former NBA great Dennis "DJ" Johnson, who was named recently head coach of the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League after spending 2004-05 as head mentor of the NBA Development League Florida Flame squad, and Joey Meyer, who was recently named head coach of the NBA Development League Tulsa 66ers after leading the D-League Asheville Altitude to league championships in 2004 and 2005.

In FIBA Americas Olympic or World Championship qualifying events held since 1989. USA Basketball men's teams are 49-6 and have won gold in five of the six Tournament of the Americas it has sent teams to.