Jesse Edwards finished group play in the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament with his best performance of the week in the Netherlands’ 89-81 loss to Croatia in Turkey on Wednesday.
Edwards led the Netherlands in plus/minus (five) and efficiency rating (27) while scoring the second-most points (20) on the team. His eight rebounds were tied for the team-high, and he also made 5-of-6 free throws after missing five on Monday.
The Mountaineer big man netted 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the opener against Sweden on Sunday. In Monday’s win over Belgium, he made 7-of-12 attempts from the field for 16 points and hauled in a team-high eight rebounds.
If the Dutch finish among the top two teams in their group – which looks unlikely with the Netherlands going 1-2 – Edwards and co. will advance to the final phase of this tournament. The winner of the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament earns a place in next July’s FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, with a spot in the Paris Olympics up for grabs.
Edwards transferred to WVU from Syracuse this offseason. He averaged 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game last year for the Orange.