Azerbaijan and Andorra battle for gold, Voulfor scores 45 points

SERRAVALLE (FIBA U18 European Championship 2016 Division C) - Azerbaijan stunned the previously unbeaten Kosovo team to book a place in the Final. They will fight for gold with Andorra, who enjoyed a comfortable win over San Marino.

With Azerbaijan's upset victory, it means a repeat of last year's final, in which Azerbaijan prevailed with six of the players who are back on their roster this time around.

Kosovo got to the Semi-Finals on a 4-0 record and also on two straight triple-digits performances, but it was their opponent who looked like a 100-point team in the decisive first quarter. Azerbaijan scored 26 points, allowing Kosovo only 12 at the other end. Azerbaijan's 77-66 win is even more impressive given the fact that Tahir Bakhshiyev used only six players in the Semi-Final.

Endar Poladkhanli scored a game-high 24 points, while also grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 4 assists. Akbar Mammadov added 19 points and nine rebounds, Omar Ahmadzada finished with 15 points, while Nijat Mammadli, Giorgi Keinashvili and Elshad Shirzadov combined for 19. Azerbaijan controlled the paint, winning the rebounding (43-39) and the blocking battle (5-0).

Kosovo shot just 36% from the field, compared to Azerbaijan's 48%, and had four players in double digits. However, none of them had more than 12 points.

Azerbaijan will face Andorra in the Final. San Marino was 12 points behind at the half, and the lead grew to 89-63 by the final whistle. While the other finalist used only six players in the Semis, all 12 Andorran players played against the tournament hosts.

Aaron Guzman Salinas had 23 points and 16 rebounds in 27 minutes of play, Hugo Schneider Bartolome followed his lead with 22 points and seven rebounds. Alexis Bartolome Frases was a beast under the basket, grabbing a tournament-high 14 offensive rebounds. He finished with 12 points and 21 rebounds for his third double-double of the Championship. Pietro Ugolini had 25 points for San Marino, who will play Kosovo in the battle for third.

The other teams are battling for the fifth place. Hugo Voulfor exploded for 45 points in as many minutes in an overtime 92-87 win for the Principality of Monaco against Moldova. Wales defeated Gibraltar 76-69, as Morgan Carter had his fourth double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

FIBA