BANGKOK (FIBA U19 World Championship for Women) - Spain handed twice defending champions United States their first defeat in eight years with a gallant 90-86 win in Group D on Thursday.

The last time the US lost a game in the in FIBA U19 World Championship for Women was when they lost to the then hosts Czech Republic in the semifinals of the 2001 edition at Brno. The Americans had recorded an 18-0 spree after that, till they faced the determined Spaniards here.

Lucas Mondelo's girls pulled away with a 15-1 run in the final four minutes of the first quarter, as Marta Xargay Casademont scored seven of her 19 points during this time to power Spain ahead.

Marta Tudanca and Leonor Rodriguez came into their own thenceforth as Spain went into the changing rooms 46-32 ahead.

Rodriguez led the scoring for the game with 23 points - including a 7/8 record in three-pointers - and Tudanca chipped in with 21 points.

The US did attempt a comeback outscoring Spain 29-13 in the third quarter.

Nnemkadi Ogwumike scored seven of her team-high 16 points in the third quarter, and Shenise Johnson accounted for six of her 11 points, as Carol Owens' team went into the final ten minutes 61-59 ahead.

"I just told the girls not to give away all the hard work of the first two quarters easily," Mondelo said.

And surely the Spaniards took their coach's words seriously, as they leveled the scores at 66 and never looked back.

"The girls were just not afraid of their reputation. I think the game was half won there itself," Mondelo said.

"We began rather flat and we didn't really recover after that," Owens said.

"We definitely didn't play the way we wanted to. This is a wake up call for all of us," she said.

FIBA