Malta's Jade Formosa (right) and Vanya Baldacchino celebrate after beating Gibraltar. Photo: FIBA
Gebbia’s clan take top seed into semifinals
MALTA 56
GIBRALTAR 17
(12-2, 13-8, 20-3, 11-4)
Malta’s women’s team made it three-of-three at the FIBA Under-16 European Championships Division C tournament in Andorra when they thrashed Gibraltar 56-17 on Thursday.
This means that Malta officially secured the top spot in Group A. In the semifinal on Saturday, they will face the runner-up of Group B, a quartet consisting of Azerbaijan, hosts Andorra, Albania, and Moldova.
While on paper, this was an expected result, Malta took no risks and dominated proceedings from the outset with last-placed Gibraltar only managing single-digit scoring in each quarter in what was a low-scoring encounter for both sides.
Similarly to the game against Armenia, Malta were alert to make 32 steals, benefitting from Gibraltar’s 58 turnovers to make 34 points. While Gibraltar led with 53 rebounds, it was Malta who scored the most second-chance points, once again leading in points in the paint. Interestingly, Thursday’s game was a showcase for Malta’s bench players as they outscored the starters to put up 24 points throughout the game.
It already looked like Malta’s game when Sarah Fenech Pace rose to collect the jump ball and while the first possession was stopped by a Sofia Afzan block, Vanya Baldacchino continued on her momentum from being Malta’s top scorer on Wednesday to make the rebound, and make the first jump shot of the afternoon. She eventually went on to repeat her success with another game-leading performance as Malta’s sole double-digit scorer with 14 points, seven rebounds, and six steals.
Isabelle Dalmedo – Gibraltar’s top scorer on the day with eight points and seven rebounds – put up her side’s first points after an Afzan steal but it was all Malta from then on as Giovanni Gebbia’s clan went on to put up another ten points by the end of the quarter.
Malta were 15 points ahead by the halftime break, but this did not stop the side from having their best-scoring quarter right after the change of ends, hitting 20 points and holding Gibraltar to just three.
The game was a no-contest by the beginning of the fourth quarter, but Malta kept pushing in preparation for the next round, increasing the lead to 39 by the final buzzer.
MALTA
E. Abela, R. Fenech Pace 4, Y. Ferrando 2, J. Formosa 2, P. Riolo 6, V. Baldacchino 14, G. Carabott 8, A. De Martino 2, S. Farrugia 5, S. Fenech 4, J. Said 4, S. Sciberras 5.
GIBRALTAR
S. Afzan 1, N. Barbara, K. Escalona, P. Reyes, R. Sayah, A. Beredugo 2, B. Costa, I. Dalmedo 8, L. Hernandez, D. Martinez 4, R. King 2, A. Pons.
