Akbarov, Azerbaijan too strong for San Marino; Wales edge Malta

SERRAVALLE (FIBA U16 European Championship 2018, Division C) – The prospects of the FIBA U16 European Championship, Division C are the new show in town in Serravalle, just a couple of days after the conclusion of the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries.

The hosts of the tournament, San Marino, could not get off to a victorious start in Group A, falling short to Azerbaijan, 62-51. The guests saw the night out, with a game-winning 11-2 run at the end of the fourth quarter, having held a slender edge for much of the contest.

Jabrayil Akbarov registered the highest-scoring individual performance on the first day of the tournament with a 32-point, 14-rebound and 5-block performance, while Francesco Palmieri and Edoardo Pasolini had 38 of 51 points for San Marino.

Albania big man Xhersido Hajdari opened the tournament with a double-double

In the only other Group A game, the Xhersido Hajdari-led Albania pipped Moldova with a narrow 52-43 margin in their tournament-opener. Despite a highly inefficient 6-of-25 shooting performance, Hajdari finished the night with game-highs of 14 points, 15 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Malta may have triumphed in the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries in Serravalle on Sunday, but the junior side could not pick up where their seniors left off. The Simon Fisher-coached Wales stole their thunder with a 71-60 win in Group B behind a 22-point, 7-rebound, 9-assist and 3-steal performance by Welsh guard Luke Gordos.

 Luke Gordos had his fingerprints all over the win over Malta

Wales punished Malta on the boards, enjoying a 60-44 advantage in rebounding, which also translated into a 14-4 lead in second-chance points on the boxscore.

Meanwhile, Andorra were Tuesday's biggest winners, celebrating a 104-31 blow-out win against Gibraltar, also in Group B, rattling their opponents with a 33-4 run in the opening quarter and never looking back. Sergi Serrato Balletbo had a game-high 22 points for the winners, while Miguel Marti Charmorro posted a double-double of 20 points and 23 rebounds.

FIBA