Gibraltar U18s beat San Marino in FIBA tournament

The Gibraltar U18 men’s team were to play for seventh and eighth place on Sunday in the FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division C.
It was an early afternoon start against San Marino, with Gibraltar taking an early lead at 5-2 within the first three minutes of play in what was a slow-scoring start to the match.
Although the scoring was slow, Gibraltar opened up a gap to 8-2 midway through the first quarter, successfully halting San Marino’s progress. The latter only added to their tally during that period through a free throw to make it 8-3.
Having held San Marino to just three points with four minutes left to play in the first quarter, Gibraltar were growing in confidence as they extended their lead to 12-3 before San Mario scored again.
However, the lead was still too narrow, with San Marino closing the gap to 12-7 within a matter of seconds as they entered the final three minutes of the first quarter.
Gibraltar, who had the advantage in play as the stronger offensive side, had not made the most of their chances, leaving themselves exposed to a potential comeback.
Finding some fluidity in their own game, San Marino closed the gap further to 12-9 with two minutes remaining before the interval.
With just a minute left, the intensity increased, with Gibraltar restoring their lead to 17-12 while San Marino searched for the big points.
The match was paused briefly as one of the Gibraltar players received treatment following a fall. He was helped off the court by his teammates and coach.
Gibraltar were to finish the first quarter leading 18-12.
San Marino were to claw their way back into the match, taking the lead with just three minutes remaining before half time, with the score at 25-24. Gibraltar levelled through a free throw before retaking the lead at 26-25 with another successful free shot.
Gibraltar added three further points before half time, taking the lead to 28-25 after once again managing to stall San Marino’s momentum.
As the third quarter got underway, the momentum from the previous two quarters continued, with no clear winner in sight. Although Gibraltar opened up a 34-27 lead after three minutes of the third quarter, the seven-point difference was still not enough to dismiss San Marino’s challenge.
It was a very low-scoring game, highlighting why both sides were competing for the lower positions in the ranking.
Midway through the third quarter, Gibraltar continued to hold on to their lead at 36-29.
Leading 41-31, Gibraltar’s lack of efficiency contrasted with their occasional moments of flair when playing with confidence. A missed attempt under the basket, with the player hanging from the hoop as the ball fell out, should have been an easy lay-up. Instead, San Marino gained possession and added two points of their own.
This allowed San Marino to further reduce the deficit, bringing the score to 41-36 with under two minutes of the quarter remaining.
The third quarter finished with Gibraltar leading 42-37, a margin too small to feel secure entering the final quarter.
San Marino attempted to claw back the deficit but were matched point for point. They did, however, land a three-pointer to make it 45-42. With six minutes left to play, San Marino came within two points at 45-43.
Gibraltar were able to add to their tally while limiting San Marino’s options for a period, extending their lead to 49-43.
With three and a half minutes remaining, Gibraltar reached the half-century mark at 51-43.
With just over a minute to play, Gibraltar faced the challenge of maintaining their focus as San Marino reduced the deficit to just three points at 52-49.
Gibraltar survived a three-point attempt after losing possession twice and were awarded a free throw following an attacking foul.
This gave them two points with just under 40 seconds remaining, taking the score to 54-49.
Gibraltar held their nerve long enough to secure victory, albeit after a hard-fought encounter strewn with missed opportunities under the basket.
Gibraltar won 56-52, finishing seventh in the ranking.
This was Gibraltar’s final appearance in the FIBA events this summer. One of the key concerns across all categories has been efficiency in converting attempts into points.
Some observers have pointed to a continued lack of practice outside scheduled coaching sessions and matches, particularly among younger players, as an area requiring attention.