Azerbaijan pulled away to win in second half against Gibraltar U16 boys

It was a strong start for Gibraltar against Azerbaijan, keeping within a point early on before the blues stretched their lead to three midway through the first quarter.

Looking noticeably more confident, Gibraltar matched their opponents on court, although Azerbaijan managed to stay slightly ahead. It was a low-scoring first quarter, with both sides locked at 13-9 for some time. Azerbaijan eventually broke the deadlock with a solitary point in the final seconds to finish the quarter 14-9 ahead—a scoreline that remained a positive for Gibraltar.

Gibraltar opened the second quarter with energy, quickly cutting the deficit to 14-11. Azerbaijan responded swiftly, but the match had turned into a much tighter contest. Gibraltar’s failure to convert under the basket, however, gave Azerbaijan the chance to extend their lead to 18-11.

By the halfway mark of the second quarter, Azerbaijan had pushed ahead to 22-13, with their dominance under the basket being the key difference between the two sides. Still, Gibraltar showed battling spirit and, looking more composed than in previous matches, stayed within touching distance at 24-18.

Gibraltar narrowed the gap further to just two points at 24-22 as halftime approached, levelling the score at 24-24 with a minute left on the clock after converting two free throws. But Azerbaijan responded with a quick basket in the final seconds, then doubled their lead after a turnover, while Gibraltar failed to convert their final attempt of the half. Azerbaijan went into halftime leading 28-24.

The second half began with a surge from Azerbaijan, who raced to a 37-24 lead within minutes of the restart, setting the tone for a dominant third quarter. Gibraltar struggled to respond as Azerbaijan stretched their lead to 51-26 heading into the final minute of the quarter, which ended 53-26—a period in which Gibraltar lost significant ground.

In the final quarter, Gibraltar did push back, cutting the deficit to 61-37 with four and a half minutes remaining—scoring nine unanswered points in a short burst.

Although it was a much-improved performance by Gibraltar’s U16s, who could be proud of their composure and ball movement, their inefficiency under the basket once again told its own story. Missed opportunities from free throws and open shots—many bouncing off the rim—contrasted sharply with Azerbaijan’s sharper shooting and a flurry of three-pointers.

The match ended with a 69-40 win for Azerbaijan.