Andorra cruise to finals after beating Gibraltar 91-42

From the very first ball played, Gibraltar's focus on the game was far more potent and visible than it had been on Thursday. The dynamics of Saturday's match against Andorra were very different. Gibraltar were playing for a place in the final, and there was no time to let their concentration slip.
It was a very tightly contested opening two minutes in which Andorra registered the first basket and converted a free throw after two minutes of play, with Gibraltar yet to score despite both teams having created early chances. Gibraltar's response was almost immediate with two points of their own, followed by some swift defending which saw them regain possession through a defensive rebound.
A three-point shot from Rodriguez stirred the crowd as Gibraltar took the lead for the first time. Winning the ball again through a block, Gibraltar added another two points before Andorra responded. After four minutes of play, Gibraltar led 9-5. The intensity of the match was illustrated by the crowd's response, with cheers, jeers, groans and applause from the very first minutes.
It was the positive start to the match that had not been seen on Thursday, when Gibraltar had trailed by around twenty points in the first quarter.
A confident McGrail added another three points as Gibraltar kept Andorra on five with five minutes of the quarter remaining.
The presence of El Yeffetti under the basket in attack was also allowing Gibraltar to regain possession from offensive rebounds, something that had not been seen much on Thursday.
The worried face of the Andorra head coach told its own story. This, as had been expected, was a very different game from the one in which Andorra had won by thirty points.
Andorra had to wait until three minutes before the end of the quarter to add another two points to their tally. While Gibraltar were still only on twelve, it was a confidence-boosting first quarter which was causing Andorra enough doubts over whether they could contain Gibraltar's determined approach. As defending champions, Andorra had entered the match as favourites. As hosts, Gibraltar had taken to the court with one sole intention – reaching the final in front of their home crowd.
Andorra drew level at 12-12 with two minutes remaining in the first quarter before taking the lead through a single successful free throw.
Missing their chances going forward, Gibraltar allowed Andorra to build a narrow lead before McGrail levelled matters. Unnecessary personal fouls, however, saw Andorra regain possession for another free throw after Gibraltar had comfortably secured a defensive rebound. Andorra retook the lead at 16-14 before extending it to 17-14 with five seconds remaining. However, if there had been any doubt about Gibraltar's determination, McGrail's three-pointer with the final shot of the quarter said it all, levelling the score at 17-17. It was an early body blow for Andorra, who would have been buoyed by their 80-50 victory just two days earlier.
An exchange of baskets saw the match enter an intense spell, with Andorra holding a slender lead during the early stages of the second quarter.
Andorra began to find their rhythm offensively, opening up a 27-19 lead with seven minutes remaining before half-time. Gibraltar called a timeout in an effort to regroup.
Persisting with three-point attempts that failed to reduce the deficit, Gibraltar found themselves trailing 34-22 midway through the second quarter.
The gap widened as frustrations also grew, with Andorra leading 41-24 with four minutes remaining. Gibraltar were now facing the type of power play they had hoped to avoid and needed to ensure frustration and urgency did not dictate their game.
Compact in defence and growing in confidence, Andorra secured a dominant quarter, producing the thirty-plus-point period Gibraltar had hoped to prevent.
Andorra reached the half-time break with a convincing 51-26 lead. What had initially been a body blow against them had turned into a confidence-boosting comeback which placed them firmly on course for the final.
Focused on slowing down Andorra and disrupting their rhythm, Gibraltar defended much more tightly in the opening moments of the third quarter. Although they were unable to regain enough possession to reduce the deficit, they effectively halted Andorra's early scoring.
Two minutes into the quarter, only two points had been scored before Gibraltar were finally able to respond.
Their high press, however, had its drawbacks, leaving them exposed whenever Andorra managed to break through.
Andorra maintained the advantage they had established and gradually continued to increase it.
As the seconds ticked away, Gibraltar's hopes of reaching the final were already beginning to fade before the third quarter had even ended.
Gibraltar had slowed Andorra down but had failed to find a way back into the contest.
A relatively small and quiet crowd watched as Andorra reached 60 points with three minutes still remaining in the third quarter.
Andorra moved on to 61 while Gibraltar remained stuck on 32 for a prolonged spell.
Gibraltar did not add to their score until the closing seconds of the third quarter, by which stage Andorra had extended their lead to 70-34, just ten points short of the margin they had achieved on Thursday.
With the outcome becoming increasingly inevitable, Gibraltar continued to battle hard, scoring six quick points at the start of the fourth quarter to reduce the score to 70-40 with eight minutes remaining.
Overturning a thirty-point deficit while containing Andorra had become a monumental task, something clearly reflected in the expressions of the Gibraltar players. The faces of defeat were beginning to show.
It took Andorra five minutes to score again, but by then they had also tightened up defensively, leaving the score at 72-40 with five minutes left to play.
Gibraltar's second-quarter performance had ultimately proved decisive, having conceded 34 points while scoring just nine after such a positive opening to the match.
Andorra eventually ran out 91-42 winners, a scoreline which highlighted that, despite Gibraltar's change in game plan, Andorra's effectiveness had changed very little.
Gibraltar will now face the losers of the San Marino versus Malta match. It will be a repeat of the 2024 third-place play-off, when Gibraltar were narrowly defeated by three points. Having already beaten San Marino once this week, Gibraltar will be hoping they can repeat that result once again.