Gibraltar U18s suffer heavy defeat against Andorra in FIBA EuroBasket Division C

Gibraltar’s men’s U18 side were unable to contain Andorra in the FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division C being played in Albania, suffering a heavy 97-44 defeat in their third match of the competition.
A tightly contested opening quarter, which Gibraltar edged 17-16, had suggested that the game could develop into a close battle. However, Gibraltar’s response to Andorra’s attacking push collapsed in the second quarter, with the side managing just four points.
Andorra, meanwhile, found their rhythm, scoring 32 points in the period to take control of the match. By half-time, they had moved to within two points of the half-century mark, leading 48-21.
Things continued to go from bad to worse for Gibraltar in the third quarter, as they were again restricted to just two points, while Andorra added another 31 points to their tally.
It was not until the final quarter that Gibraltar managed to show signs of a recovery, outscoring Andorra 21-18 in the period. However, it proved too little too late as Andorra secured a convincing 97-44 victory.
In the women’s Division C, being played in Kosovo, Gibraltar’s U18 side suffered a similar fate against Georgia.
Gibraltar started strongly, taking a narrow 19-18 lead after the opening quarter in what was a closely fought contest. Georgia, however, edged ahead before the interval, taking a 32-29 lead into the half-time break.
The second half saw Georgia pull away, with the third quarter proving decisive as they outscored Gibraltar 24-7. A further 21-8 advantage in the final quarter saw Georgia complete a 77-44 victory.
Gibraltar’s U18 women will have a rest day on Friday before returning to action on Saturday, when they face Albania in the classification stage for positions 5-7.
The men’s U18 side will also rest on Friday and return on Saturday against Moldova in the classification group for positions 5-8. Armenia and San Marino are the other two teams competing for those positions.