U16 Boys Fall Short in Tight Battle Against San Marino

The Gibraltar U16 boys faced San Marino in their second group match following a day’s rest after their heavy defeat to Luxembourg. With both teams having suffered big losses in their opening games — San Marino falling to Azerbaijan — this was expected to be a more evenly matched contest.

It was San Marino who struck first, opening up a four-point lead at 7–3 after five minutes. Gibraltar responded well, leveling the score at 7–7, before San Marino edged back ahead with two more points. Both teams approached the match cautiously, knowing it could prove decisive in determining their final tournament standings.

San Marino regained a four-point advantage, despite Gibraltar showing they were evenly matched on the court. With many of the players still eligible for next year’s tournament, the game was also a valuable opportunity to build experience and confidence.

Gibraltar played with more freedom than they had shown in their previous match, closing the gap to a single point with a confident three-point play. However, San Marino widened the lead again to 16–10 in the final minutes of the first quarter. Gibraltar had a chance to close the gap before the break but couldn’t convert.

In the second quarter, Gibraltar quickly cut the deficit to three with a two-point basket followed by a successful free throw. Growing in confidence and improving their free-throw percentage, they soon leveled the score at 16–16.

San Marino rotated players, briefly gaining a slight height advantage which they used to apply pressure, though without capitalizing fully — converting just one of four free throws during that spell. Gibraltar took the lead and stretched it to five points with six minutes left in the quarter, though San Marino responded to close the gap again.

Despite being pressed, Gibraltar held their momentum, though a lapse in focus nearly cost them the lead. A lack of support while bringing the ball out from the back and allowing two unchallenged three-point attempts — both missed — raised concerns. Still, Gibraltar held a narrow 29–27 lead with two minutes to go.

San Marino then leveled the score at 29–29 and quickly moved ahead to 34–29. Gibraltar’s only response was a single free throw, leaving the halftime score at 34–30 in San Marino’s favor.

The third quarter saw no points for the first three minutes until San Marino broke the deadlock, extending their lead to 36–30. Gibraltar responded quickly, but San Marino continued to edge ahead to 41–32 before Gibraltar rallied again.

Once again, Gibraltar’s lack of shooting accuracy proved costly, although San Marino also struggled at times. With three minutes left in the quarter, the score stood at 43–39. Gibraltar came within a point in the final minute, and after regaining possession from a missed San Marino three-point shot, they snatched the lead in the dying seconds.

They held that narrow lead, finishing the third quarter ahead 44–43.

What had been a tightly contested match between two sides expected to finish near the bottom of the table would be decided in the final quarter.

San Marino retook the lead at 45–44, but Gibraltar responded again. A foul allowed San Marino to convert free throws and move 47–46 ahead. A short pause followed for substitutions and a discussion between the Gibraltar coach and the officials.

Tension was high at both ends as nervous play led to missed passes on offense. Gibraltar capitalized on two free throws to regain the lead at 48–47, with their nerves now working in their favor.

With time ticking down, every error became critical. A missed opportunity at one end was punished as San Marino hit a three-pointer to take a 51–48 lead. That margin grew to 54–48 as Gibraltar’s defense was caught out and San Marino calmly sank another three-point shot, with six minutes still on the clock.

Gibraltar’s missed chances under the basket — particularly from the free-throw line — began to weigh heavily. As they tried to claw back, San Marino extended their lead to 66–52 with just over two minutes left.

Fatigue, costly turnovers, and missed opportunities proved too much to overcome. San Marino sealed the game with a 68–56 win in the final minute, as both teams traded missed chances to close.