ANDORRA LA VELLA (Andorra) - Once again, the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries Final will consist of two former winners, as Malta and Andorra emerged victorious from their Semi-Finals encounters, on Saturday.
2018 champions - as well as last edition's runners-up - Malta defeated Gibraltar 85-79 in the first game of the Semi-Finals. Meanwhile, hosts Andorra came up with a 64-59 win over San Marino.
Malta were led by Samuel Deguara, who posted a monstrous double-double with 25 points and 24 rebounds for a tournament-high efficiency rating of 43. The 2022 silver medalists had a lead as big as 16 points in the third quarter but then survived a late scare.
Gibraltar attempted a big comeback and got close to a one-possession deficit with 13 seconds on the clock, but Malta proved to have a steady hand from the free-throw line to close out the win. Malta got their revenge for the opening day upset and hope for their second title, while Gibraltar will look to bounce back for their first-ever medal.
Subsequently, five-time winners Andorra ensured themselves a shot for the gold on their home court with a hard-fought victory over San Marino. The tournament hosts had an 11-point lead at half-time, but San Marino then erased the deficit and even took the lead at 52-51 with less than three minutes remaining.
However, the hosts came up clutch with a 7-3 run and entered the last 60 seconds with a four-point cushion which proved to be enough for the success.
The victors had spread the scoring fairly evenly among their ranks, but Sergi Serrato Balletbo took charge with 14 points and 7 assists. San Marino fell short despite Tommaso Felici's big double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Andorra have the chance to win a record-breaking sixth title on Sunday, as San Marino have to satisfy themselves with an opportunity for their fourth bronze medal, but also the first decoration since the 2016 edition.
Final
Andorra vs Malta
Third-Place Game
San Marino vs Gibraltar
FIBA