7ft 6in Samuel Deguara scoops MVP honors

SERRAVALLE (FIBA European Championship for Small Countries) – The towering Samuel Deguara has carried Malta to gold at the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries 2018, earning MVP honors in the process.

The 7ft 6in (2.29m) center was both a figurative and literal colossus, controlling a powerful Maltese front court that no opponent came close to containing. He finished his four games in San Marino averaging a 17.3-point, 11.5-rebound double-double, despite remarkably only seeing 17.9 minutes of game time each night.

He was joined in the All-Star Five by his team leader Aaron Falzon, who was only a point behind the points average of Deguara, with 16.3 an outing.

There was a small silver lining for losing finalist, Harald Frey. The up-and-coming Norwegian single-handedly carried his side in their Semi-Final victory over Ireland, with 29 points - one of the best single-game returns in the tournament.

Joining Frey in the backcourt was Gibraltar's Miguel Ortega. He led all scoring with 21 points a night.

Rounding out the five was bronze medalist Taiwo Badmus of Ireland. Badmus was exceptional in Ireland's bronze medal game, finishing with a game-high 19 points, to go with 10 rebounds.

FIBA