Austria to face Scotland for gold after dismantling Moldova in Semis

CHISINAU (FIBA U16 Women's European Championship 2018, Division C) – Austria and Scotland booked a date in the FIBA U16 Women's European Championship 2018, Division C title clash after clearing their Semi-Final hurdles in the Moldovan capital Chisinau on Saturday evening, leaving Moldova and Georgia to battle it out for bronze.

A merciless Austrian side breezed past the home side with a one-sided 82-37 scoreline, as Sarah Pia Winkler and Sophie Baydanov scored 14 points each in a traditionally well-rounded offensive effort for the Aldin Saracevic-coached team.

Maria Terzi was the only double-digit scorer for Moldova with 12 points, but the home side never stood a chance, having committed 57 turnovers against a suffocating Austrian defense.

Austria are yet to meet a worthy challenger in Chisinau

 The other Semi-Final ended in favor of Scotland, who pulled away to a double-digit lead against Georgia in the second period on their way to a 63-57 victory that pits them against the tournament favorites Austria in the Final.

Scotland led by as many as 18 points in the second half, but saw their 57-39 lead vanish after a 17-2 run by the Georgians, who simply ran out of time towards the end of the contest to complete the comeback.Sophie Loughran played a major part in the win with game-highs of 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Nino Gadelia led the Georgian challenge with 20 points, 4 rebounds and 6 steals.

Meanwhile, Malta and Wales began the battles for positions outside the Medal Round with wins over Gibraltar and Monaco. The Marie Buhagiar-led Maltese side thrashed Gibraltar 56-25, while Isobel Bunyan helped Wales get a 51-46 win over Monaco with a game-high 15 points.

The Classification Games will continue on Sunday, with Malta and Wales playing for 5th place and Gibraltar and Monaco playing it out to avoid the wooden spoon award.

FIBA