Three-point clinic by San Marino, Andorra stay perfect

SERRAVALLE (FIBA U18 European Championship 2016 Division C) - An amazing shooting display in the fourth quarter was enough for San Marino to see off Moldova in Group B.

Simone Giacomini and Kevin Riccardi had two three pointers each in the final six minutes. Giacomo Pasolini then joined the party with the fifth San Marino three-pointer of the quarter, as San Marino turned a three-point deficit into a 78-68 win.

San Marino shot 44 percent from deep, hitting five of their ten triples in the decisive moments. That was just what was needed for the hosts, as they lost the rebounding battle 52-33 and turned the ball over 20 times. But Giacomini with 18 points and Riccardi with 17 on 3-of-3 from beyond the arc saved the day. Pasolini finished with 12 points, Gianluca Alfarano helped out with 10. For Moldova, Vadim Raducan stood out with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

San Marino stands at 2-1 after first three games of Group B. Moldova lost both of their opening games. In the other game of the day, Wales secured an 82-59 win over Malta with a strong performance before the halftime break.

Wales led by 19-12 after the first 10 minutes, and the lead ballooned to 45-24 after the first half. Stelios Koukouravas led a balanced attack with 19 points and six rebounds. Morgan Carter and Andrew Park each grabbed a double-double. Carter finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds, Park had 15 points and 10 boards.

In Group A, Azerbaijan cruised to an 89-54 win over Gibraltar. The Mamma duo collected a couple of double-doubles. Akbar Mammadov had 22 points and 17 rebounds, while Nijat Mammadli ended with 19 points, 16 rebounds and five assists. Those two combined for six blocks. Aaron Santos scored half of Gibraltar's points.

Azerbaijan and Gibraltar are both on 1-1 records, while Andorra kept a perfect 2-0 record with a 91-60 triumph against Principality of Monaco. Like Azerbaijan, Andorra also enjoyed a pair of double-doubles. Alexis Bartolome Fraser gathered 17 points and 18 rebounds, Aaron Guzman Salinas added 12 points and 13 rebounds. Hugo Voulfor finished with 26 points for Monaco.

FIBA