PEJA (Kosovo) - Malta secured their place in the Final of the FIBA U18 Women's EuroBasket 2026, Division C after overcoming previously unbeaten hosts Kosovo 49-48 in a dramatic finish.
It was Malta who made the brighter start and led early, but Kosovo responded to move in front 14-8 at the end of the opening quarter.
Malta eventually opened up an eight-point advantage early in the fourth quarter, only for Kosovo to battle back and move ahead 48-46 after Malvina Haziri converted two free throws with 24.8 seconds remaining.
However, Samira Deguara had the final say after coming off the bench to bury a corner three-pointer straight out of a timeout with 18.1 seconds left, before Kosovo missed on their final possession.
Caitlyn Grace Grima starred for Malta with 18 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, while Eve Axisa also scored 18 points.
Kosovo were led by Malvina Haziri with 20 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, while Klea Gashi chipped in with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
In the other Semi-Final, Cyprus booked their place in the Final with a 67-52 victory over Georgia after taking control in the second quarter.
Cyprus broke the game open with a decisive 12-1 run in the second quarter to take a 31-19 half-time lead. They extended the margin to 20 points early in the third before Georgia refused to go away; cutting the deficit to eight in the closing minutes.
Cyprus responded with key baskets down the stretch to restore a double-digit advantage and seal the win.
Katerina Shakalli led Cyprus with 14 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals, while Alexandra Liakopoulou added 11 points and 8 rebounds. Georgia were led by Lizi Jabua, who finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Earlier in the day, Albania defeated Gibraltar 84-50 in the Classification Group 5-7. Emma Cela led the way with a dominant performance of 21 points, 25 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals as Albania pulled away with a 28-8 fourth quarter.
Final
Cyprus vs Malta
Third-Place Game
Georgia vs Kosovo
FIBA