Gibraltar makes it into Sunday's finals

Gibraltar 48-38 Malta
Although Gibraltar had beaten Malta in their encounter the previous day, they faced a tough challenge from the first minutes, going behind and being unsettled by the determination of their opponents. Malta gained confidence, establishing a three-point lead early on, which forced Gibraltar to try and make an immediate comeback. Ruiz settled nerves by scoring the first point but then saw the ball lost immediately after the center pass due to nerves.

Ruiz made it two, but Gibraltar remained behind as Malta continued to force the gameplay their way. Ruiz managed to score another to close the gap to one point. With Gibraltar having the center pass, Pozo further settled the nerves by leveling the score and resetting the tempo. Malta, composed on the shot, added to their tally while Gibraltar sent a wild long pass into empty space, giving Malta a further chance to step forward again. Malta went 4-6 up and added another to take a three-point lead once again.

Midway through the first quarter, Gibraltar had yet to settle into their stride, reminiscent of their defeat against France in the first match. With the pressure on Gibraltar after winning their first encounter, it was now a matter of settling nerves and finding sharp shooters. Ruiz brought the score back to within one point. However, Malta protected their lead well, working the ball effectively and appearing more settled and composed. This allowed them to take advantage of errors in delivery by Gibraltar in the first quarter.

Moments of fluidity from Gibraltar, settling into a passing game and patiently building as the first quarter reached its end, saw Gibraltar level the score at 9-9 with two minutes left. Gibraltar finally found the lead and started to turn the tables on Malta, who now found themselves playing with some urgency. With a minute left in the first quarter, Gibraltar had completely turned the tables and led 11-9.

Malta started the second quarter strongly and retook the lead at 11-14 before Gibraltar responded. Gibraltar took advantage of a disrupted center pass and regained possession. Although Pozo initially missed a chance to level, sending her shot well over the hoop due to nerves, it was Ruiz who secured the point to level the score. Some good work at the back from Ocana denied Malta, making them work hard for their points, having to come back for a second try. Gibraltar's pressure through the middle was effectively working as they searched to level again. A good delivery to Pozo, who leveled the score at 15-15, ensured Gibraltar’s response to Malta's initial push was firmly in place. Gibraltar regained the lead at 16-15 and didn't look to give it away.

As they arrived at the final seconds of the second quarter, Gibraltar led with a 25-21 scoreline, a confidence boost as they entered the halftime break. Gibraltar extended their lead in the third quarter to an eight-point margin with just two minutes of the quarter to play. This increased to ten points just moments later as Gibraltar entered the final minute of the quarter with a 39-28 lead. Changes in formation and combinations in the Gibraltar team provided an effective interchange, giving them the edge as they finished the quarter with a 39-29 scoreline. The ten-point lead, although a good enough cushion to ease tensions, was still not enough to secure victory against a Maltese side more than willing to battle it out until the last second.

Although Malta got a point back immediately after restarting in the fourth quarter, Gibraltar did not ease off the pace. They built up their tally to go 46-33 with five minutes of the quarter to play. The thirteen-point gap provided ample confidence and ease to know that they had the victory sealed. Although Malta battled hard and scratched back four points to make it 48-37 as they entered the final minute, Gibraltar finished with a 48-38 victory. Gibraltar now heads into their final match on Sunday, where they will play for first and second place in Division 2.