Gibraltar basketball U18s fall to San Marino in first match

It was not the start Gibraltar Under 18s would have wanted as they fell behind 14-0 with five minutes left in the first quarter against San Marino. Faster, more confident on the court, and outplaying Gibraltar, San Marino did not concede until those final five minutes. Gibraltar’s first point came from a free shot.

It looked very much like Gibraltar was in for a steep learning curve as they entered their first match in the FIBA U18 Eurobasket Division C. Just like their counterparts in the Under 16s, there was a continued lack of efficiency in their attempts at the basket. Gibraltar’s second point also came from a free shot and not in open play.

High pressure from San Marino cut down most opportunities for a run at the basket, with enough pressure to put off players from effectively hitting their targets. Although there was some confidence in playing the ball and distributing it, Gibraltar’s U18s were failing to find a comfortable zone when reaching the final third of the court. They struggled to make the shots, and when they did, they were often rushed.

San Marino finished the first quarter with a 27-4 lead, setting the tone for the rest of the match. Gibraltar scored their first open play points in the final seconds of the first quarter. San Marino pulled further away early in the second quarter, with a 34-5 lead just three minutes in.

Although Gibraltar U18s made somewhat of a fight back, it was far from enough to stem the flow. San Marino went on to take the second quarter with a 42-18 lead.

It was a slow third quarter, during which Gibraltar kept scratching at the rims and brought their score to 29, with San Marino still well in the lead. While San Marino cruised through the third quarter, Gibraltar struggled in the final meters as they approached the basket. Confident in passing and moving the ball, they became undone as they went for the basket. The third quarter finished 31-61.

San Marino found their final quarter slow-going, with Gibraltar players showing more energy on the court as they tried to claw some of the score back. It was a tightly contested final quarter, with point-for-point play, Gibraltar just marginally behind but still a long way from clawing back the thirty-point deficit they had accumulated in the first three quarters.

Although they let the momentum slip a bit towards the end of the quarter, Gibraltar managed to come close to scoring a respectable half-century of points. The final score saw San Marino winning 76-43.