FIBA Women: Third win for Malta

Malta 80

Azerbaijan 70

(26-18)(23-14)(18-15)(13-23)

Ashleigh Vella produced another great performance with a double double with 17 points and 14 rebounds.

The game had a balanced start with Malta leading 9-5 in the fourth minute. Azerbaijan leveled the score 16-16 in the 8^th minute however Malta concluded the quarter with a 10-2 run for a 26-18 score. Malta continued to increase the lead in the second quarter and a trey by Rebecca Brincat Thoresen opened a 14 point lead 36-22.

There were points on each side before a short 5-0 run by Malta for a score of 49-32 at halftime. Malta kept an advantage of 12 points in the first 2 minutes of the third quarter 49-37.

After another 6-0 break by Malta, Azerbaijan replied with a three pointer from Deniskina however the Maltese ladies were still 20 points ahead close to the end of the period 63-43. The session ended with the same gap with Malta ahead 67-47.

Azerbaijan improved their game in the last quarter although they were never close enough to turn the score. They managed to end the game with a 9-2 run however Coppa’s girls obtained their third victory 80-70.

Malta won Group A with 3 victories from 3 games and will now face Austria in the semi-final who lost the direct encounter in Group B against Macedonia 41-39. Rebecca Brincat Thoresen was the leading scorer for Malta again with 22 points and Josephine Grima had 14. Tomorrow is the rest day of the competition.