ANDORRA LA VELLA (Andorra) - Tournament hosts Andorra and Gibraltar secured big wins at the end of the Group Phase of the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries 2024.
Both victors grabbed the top two spots ahead of the Semi-Finals that take place on Saturday.
Gibraltar emerged victorious, 70-63, in an overtime thriller against San Marino in Thursday's opener. They overcame an eight-point deficit in the third quarter with a 13-0 run that put them back in the game.
Missed three-pointers from Davide Macina and Miguel Ortega extended the game into overtime where Lucas Perez proved to be the clutch player with six points in those additional five minutes. Jamie McGrail led the show with his 20-point performance for the winning side.
The final game of the Group Phase saw hosts Andorra survive a late scare against Malta - recording a narrow 82-78 victory after Joshua Samuel Tomasi missed a potential game-winning shot with just seven seconds on the clock.
Malta had built a 16-point lead in the first half, but the hosts erased it all with 12-of-27 shooting from beyond the arc and 10 offensive rebounds that proved to be crucial. Sergi Serrato Balletbo gave the best performance among the winning team with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
Andorra won the group despite their 68-63 upset against San Marino on the opening day. Meanwhile, Gibraltar opened their appearance with an 89-81 win over Malta, who then quickly recovered with a 40-point blowout against San Marino and improved to 1-1. The hosts then defeated Gibraltar 80-62 on Wednesday to secure the head-to-head, which would decide top spot.
Semi-Finals
Andorra v San Marino Gibraltar v Malta
FIBA