Malta stamp their mark as group leaders with 111-68 win over San Marino

Malta did exactly as expected, easing to a 20-14 first-quarter lead against San Marino.
The final round of group matches had been expected to provide a preview of what the semi-finals might bring. With Malta leading the group and San Marino having lost their first two encounters, all signs pointed to Malta winning their final group match and setting up a semi-final clash with San Marino, leaving Gibraltar to face Andorra.
Malta were cruising in the second quarter, taking the score to 37-20 by the midway point. San Marino were leaving wide open spaces, which Malta exploited as they surged forward after regaining possession.
The introduction of Deguara, probably the tallest player in the tournament, added to San Marino's woes. Like a stone wall between player and hoop in defence, and standing tall under the basket in attack, Deguara's presence saw Malta extend their lead to 41-22. A mighty pass from one end of the court to the other sent shivers down San Marino's spine, the tall man's presence proving to be far more than just an obstacle.
Fortunately for San Marino, Malta limited his minutes as they rotated their squad.
With three significantly tall players in their ranks, Malta had already shown throughout the tournament that they were more than capable of making full use of their height advantage.
San Marino were no match for Malta as the teams arrived at half-time with Malta leading 50-26, having increased their scoring rate by a further ten points in the second quarter.
A relaxed and somewhat overconfident start to the second half by Malta highlighted just how decided the match already appeared to be.
Exchanging points at either end, it was not until later in the third quarter that Malta began to stretch their lead even further.
Malta were 74-42 ahead with four minutes still to play in the third quarter.
They extended their advantage to 82-51 by the end of the period, leaving little doubt as to where the result was heading in the fourth quarter.
For both Andorra and Gibraltar, Malta had stamped their mark on the tournament, sending a clear message to their challengers and making a strong statement of intent.
Malta eased off the pace in the final quarter, opting for elaborate passing sequences rather than taking the easier route to the basket. Not surprisingly, San Marino at one stage held the better scoring margin in the fourth quarter as they slowly reduced the deficit.
With six minutes left on the clock, Malta were 91-61 ahead and looked certain to reach the century mark if they chose to maintain their intensity.
Malta brought up 100 points with more than two minutes still to play.
Although they had eased off, they still managed to maintain an average of more than 30 points per quarter. Malta eventually claimed a commanding 111-68 victory.