Gibraltar Basketball U18 put in a more confident performance but fall to hosts Albania

Albania U18 70-42 Gibraltar U18: Match Summary
Gibraltar faced a surprise right at the start of the game by losing possession almost immediately. However, Albania missed the chance to capitalize on this early mistake. This initial shock seemed to energize the Gibraltar team, who quickly scored five points in succession, taking an early lead. It took Albania about two minutes to score their first points from free throws.

With a noticeable height advantage and the benefit of playing at home, Albania managed to get back into the game. Gibraltar initially held them to just two points for some time, extending their own lead to four points. However, Albania soon narrowed the gap to just one point with a three-pointer, followed quickly by another, taking the lead. As the points began to flow for the home team, they secured a four-point advantage, diminishing Gibraltar’s early momentum to a fleeting memory.

Despite Gibraltar's energy and determination, Albania extended their lead to five points, making it 12-7 with five minutes left in the first quarter. Gibraltar struggled to score against Albania's swarming defense. Utilizing quick counters effectively, Albania pushed their lead to ten points with four minutes remaining in the quarter. Although Gibraltar continued to challenge, they found it difficult to increase their points tally, despite some good ball movement and passing in the final third, which eventually led to two more points. The first quarter ended with Albania leading 23-11, having recovered well from an early deficit.

In the second quarter, despite some good offensive movement and several interceptions, Gibraltar failed to capitalize on their possessions. Instead, Albania took advantage, scoring with a series of quick offensive surges, extending their lead to 31-14. Gibraltar managed to slow Albania down somewhat, bringing the score to 36-22 by midway through the quarter, showcasing some positive individual moments. However, Albania's control was evident as they finished the half leading 44-24, demonstrating why they were still considered one of the stronger sides in the group, especially after a narrow loss to Luxembourg the previous day.

Entering the second half with a twenty-point lead, Albania played confidently and in control. Despite Gibraltar’s efforts to respond, both teams matched each other's scoring in the early minutes, reaching 48-28. Albania then began to pull further away, leveraging their height advantage to dominate rebounds, which proved crucial. Gibraltar showed glimpses of agility and pace, but Albania's defensive pressure and control over the rebounds kept them in command, with the score at 53-34 with two minutes left in the third quarter. The quarter ended 56-36, with Gibraltar managing to limit Albania's scoring somewhat.

The final quarter saw Albania quickly extend their lead to 65-38. The game paused briefly due to an incident in the crowd, and the score remained unchanged for a while. It wasn't until the last three minutes that Gibraltar added another point, making it 65-39, after both teams had failed to score for nearly four minutes—the longest stretch without points in the match. Ultimately, Albania secured a comfortable 70-42 victory, controlling the game throughout and protecting their lead until the final buzzer.