GIBRALTAR (Gibraltar) - Malta completed a dominant Group Phase campaign, while reigning champions Andorra secured second place at the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries 2026.
2024 runners-up Malta opened the tournament with an 82-56 victory over Andorra before defeating hosts Gibraltar 93-63 and cruising past San Marino 111-68 to finish top of the standings with a 3-0 record.
Malta once again impressed offensively against San Marino after taking control early and building a commanding 50-26 halftime advantage. Matthew Gouder led the way with 21 points and 9 rebounds, as Malta shot 71 percent from two-point range and 44 percent from three-point distance.
Meanwhile, Andorra bounced back from their opening loss to Malta by beating San Marino 99-79, before closing the Group Phase with an 80-50 victory over hosts Gibraltar.
The 2024 champions made a strong start and quickly took control after racing to a 30-11 lead at the end of the opening quarter. Gibraltar struggled offensively throughout the contest and were unable to recover from the early deficit.
Andorra's balanced scoring effort helped secure second place in the standings ahead of the next phase.
Gibraltar finished third after earlier securing a 70-61 win over San Marino, who ended the Group Phase without a victory - though all four teams now advance to the Semi-Finals stage on Saturday.
Semi-Finals: Malta vs San Marino Andorra vs Gibraltar
FIBA