Gibraltar U16 put in a decent contest against fast paced Malta

The Gibraltar U16 basketball team faced Malta on Monday evening in their second match of the U16 EuroBasket Championship.
Malta had already shown why they were considered among the favourites alongside hosts Armenia. Their opening match had seen them beat Monaco 107-73.
They then played out an exciting encounter against Andorra in which the baskets flowed freely, Malta winning by the narrowest of margins in a 111-109 thriller.
Although Gibraltar had been comprehensively beaten by Armenia the previous evening, the young team showed they were not there simply to make up the numbers, entering the match against Malta determined to prove that their opening performance was not one on which they should be judged.
After falling 4-0 behind early on, Gibraltar battled back to take a 7-4 lead midway through the opening quarter. It was an encouraging sign that Malta's impressive start to the tournament would not intimidate them, Gibraltar extending their advantage to 9-4 before Malta pulled some points back.
For the first time in the competition the scoreboard was in Gibraltar's favour. Although only momentarily, it helped build confidence within the team as they gained ground on Malta. That confidence translated into points as Gibraltar led 11-6 with just over three minutes remaining in the first quarter.
It remained a closely contested encounter, with Malta beginning to demonstrate why they had entered the match as favourites. Restricting Gibraltar's attacking opportunities, they reduced the deficit to just two points.
With just a minute left on the clock Malta levelled the score at 11-11, Gibraltar immediately responding with a basket of their own to restore a 13-11 advantage.
Where Gibraltar had struggled to win rebounds the previous day, they looked far more focused and alert under both baskets, recovering possession and limiting Malta's second-chance opportunities.
This allowed Gibraltar to stretch their lead to 14-11. The young Gibraltar players also showed encouraging accuracy from the free-throw line, converting a high percentage of their attempts.
Gibraltar went into the first break with a 16-11 lead.
They quickly added to their tally after the restart, opening up a 20-11 advantage before Malta responded.
Malta regrouped and reduced the deficit to 22-16 by the midway point of the second quarter. Although Gibraltar still held the edge, they were unable to extend their advantage further, leaving the door open for a Maltese comeback.
With Malta having scored more than 100 points in each of their previous two matches, there was no doubt about their ability to score freely. Gibraltar, meanwhile, continued to struggle with their efficiency under the basket.
Malta pushed forward and, with five minutes still left in the quarter, levelled the score at 22-22 before taking the lead on their next possession.
Gibraltar responded to level at 24-24.
Malta then hit a beautifully executed three-pointer, further denting Gibraltar's confidence.
The baskets continued to fall for Malta as they found their rhythm in attack, stretching their lead to 34-24 with three minutes remaining before half-time. Gibraltar's inability to build on their early advantage was now proving costly as Malta adapted to the defensive game plan Gibraltar had employed.
Gibraltar's shooting efficiency remained at around 37%, compared with Malta's near 45%, a difference which steadily translated into a growing gap on the scoreboard.
Malta had almost tripled their scoring from the opening quarter while Gibraltar remained below the 15-point mark for the period, Malta taking a 46-30 lead into the break.
Gibraltar emerged for the second half with renewed confidence, quickly adding eight points to their tally while restricting Malta to just three.
Malta, however, responded with greater urgency and soon began extending their own advantage once again. After three minutes of the third quarter the score stood at 55-40.
The fast-paced end-to-end nature of the contest produced another flurry of points, the score reaching 66-46 with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Gibraltar had matched their first-quarter scoring output in only half the time.
With Malta adopting a more direct approach, using their pace to attack before Gibraltar could establish their defensive shape, the game became increasingly frenetic throughout the third quarter, with play moving rapidly from one end of the court to the other.
Despite Gibraltar producing a respectable offensive spell by adding 20 points during the quarter, Malta scored 25 of their own to finish the third period leading 71-50.
Although facing a mountain to climb, Gibraltar continued battling throughout the final quarter in an effort to reduce the deficit and finish with a respectable scoreline. They also became the first side to prevent Malta from reaching the 100-point mark, something neither Monaco nor Andorra had managed.
The intensity remained until the final buzzer, with neither side easing their pace. Malta eventually claimed their third successive victory, while Gibraltar suffered a second defeat, the final score ending 95-67.