Gibraltar women’s U16 defeated by Cyprus

Gibraltar vs Cyprus – Match Report

A quick start from Cyprus saw them go ahead 4-0 within seconds, quickly building their lead to 9-3 against a Gibraltar side that had little time to settle into the game. Already at a disadvantage due to a small pool of players, inexperience, and a physical mismatch, Gibraltar nevertheless managed to stay within touching distance in the early stages.

Midway through the first quarter, Gibraltar cut the deficit to just two points at 9-7. However, Cyprus responded immediately, pulling away to 15-7 after intercepting a complacent pass and making a clean run to the basket. This sparked a strong run for Cyprus, who stretched their lead to 19-7 before Gibraltar found the basket again.

Despite showing determination on court, Gibraltar struggled to push forward, with Cyprus increasing their lead to 29-9 before Gibraltar had another shot attempt. Dominant and confident on the ball, Cyprus maintained a rough and physical style of play, ending the first quarter with a commanding 37-12 lead.

The young Gibraltar side faced a tough challenge in keeping their spirits up as Cyprus surged past the 50-point mark before the halfway point of the second quarter. Encouraged from the sidelines by their coach, Gibraltar kept pushing to find a way into the game, though they remained stuck on 12 points for a long stretch.

It wasn’t until four minutes before halftime that Gibraltar scored again, by which point they trailed 58-14. Those were to be their only points in the second quarter, with Cyprus dominating and extending their lead to 67-14 by halftime.

The importance of strong coaching came into play at this stage, with Monica Brown working to keep her players focused and maintain team spirit, knowing many of them are being built into a squad for the future and remain eligible for next season.

Showing they hadn’t given up, Gibraltar pressed from the start of the third quarter, launching their first offensive play with a defensive steal. But Cyprus continued their relentless momentum, reaching a 73-14 scoreline midway through the quarter. The young Gibraltar team battled on, doing their best to keep their heads held high despite the adversity.

Cyprus finished the third quarter just ten points away from the 100-mark. Gibraltar’s players began to show signs of fatigue and struggle, but they came into the fourth quarter still determined, continuing to apply pressure despite having little chance to counter Cyprus’ dominance.

It didn’t take Cyprus long to hit 99 points early in the final quarter, while Gibraltar remained stuck on 14. Yet even in the face of a huge deficit, Gibraltar kept battling, chasing down loose balls and fighting for 50-50 opportunities. Twice they made it to Cyprus’ basket in the opening minutes of the final quarter, scoring both times to bring the score to 108-18.

Cyprus did not ease off, continuing to challenge for every offensive rebound and working hard on defense, despite the margin making the result a foregone conclusion. A well-taken three-pointer by Gibraltar finally took them past the 20-point mark, reaching 111-21.

The match ended with Cyprus winning 113-21.