As her teammates reveled in the moment, some more boisterous than others, UConn incoming freshman Kelly Faris just tried to take in the scene unfolding around her as the United States defeated Spain 87-71 to win the FIBA Under-19 World Championship for Women on Sunday in Bangkok, Thailand.

"It is a lot of emotion and enthusiasm afterwards," Faris said. "I am kind of a calm person so I kind of just fed off everybody else. It was an exciting game, a high-energy game and to win it, hear the buzzer go off and know we get to step up there and get the gold, it was a great feeling. I am grateful to be here and blessed to be on the team. It is just a great experience all around."

Faris, a 5-foot-11 guard from Plainfield, Ind., played just four minutes in the gold-medal game. She missed her only shot, did not score and had one blocked shot as U.S. coach Carol Owens relied mostly on the quintet of Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Kelsey Bone, Shenise Johnson and Samantha Prahalis.

Faris averaged 3.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 13.1 minutes a game. She had nine steals and an 8/2 assist/turnover ratio in the nine games.

Faris, who was also a member of the 2008 Under-18 national team, believes her experience will help as she makes the transition from high school to college.

"It will help a lot, competition wise and mentally it is a whole different game," Faris said. "College is obviously a whole different game from high school so be able to be a part of it, play with our girls and all the other players it definitely will help prepare me for how the game is in college."

Faris is planning to spend the next couple of weeks at home in Indiana before heading to UConn in late August. In between playing in the Indiana/Kentucky all-star games and heading to Thailand, she spent a couple of weeks on the UConn campus. She roomed with UConn redshirt freshman Heather Buck, a living arrangement that will continue when Faris returns to Storrs.

"She's a great girl, obviously she is one of the people who would give you the shirt off her back if you need it,' Faris said. "I am really thankful that she offered to stay with me because I am going to be the only real freshman. I am lucky to have her to kind of help me along but at the same time let me figure it out. I got the chance to hang out with them (her future UConn teammates), obviously all of them weren't there, but I am looking forward to getting back and looking forward to start being a Husky."

In the gold medal game, Ogwumike had 22 points and 20 rebounds, Prahalis had 21 points, two assists and three steals while Bone (18 points, six rebounds), Johnson (11 points, 10 rebounds, three assists) and Diggins (10 points, seven rebounds) also scored in double figures as the U.S. avenged a four-point loss to Spain in the opening game of the tournament.

There will be more on Faris' experience with the U.S. U-19 team in a story in Monday's edition of the New Haven Register.