Kosovo-San Marino 55-27 • newsrimini.it
EUROPEAN U16 CHAMPIONSHIP, DIV. C.
KOSOVO-SAN MARINO 55-27
THE TABLE
KOSOVO: Demiraj 4 (2/4, 0/3), Kastrati 9 (4/9, 0/2), Mullaliu 7 (2/7, 1/2), Rama 18 (4/8, 3/7), Syla 3 (1/1), Abazxhik 6 (2/7, 0/3), Basha, Corovic, Mitrovica (0/1, 0/1), Tusuni (0/2), Ahmeti 4 (2/4, 0/2 )), Nuradins 4 (2/2, 0/1). Coach: Spaqi.
SAN MARINO: Botteghi 8 (3/9, 0/2), Marinelli 6 (1/6, 1/2), Bianchi (0/4, 0/2), Gasperoni 2 (1/5, 0/1), Zavoli 1 ( 0/4), Berti 4 (2/6, 0/1), Conforti, Michelotti, Ronci (0/3, 0/1), Longo (0/1 of three), Pagliarani 6 (3/5), Rossini (0/1). Herdsman: Porcarelli.
Partial: 13-4, 24-10, 37-19, 55-27.
Rebounds: Kosovo 52 (Ahmeti 11), San Marino 43 (Zavoli 7).
Assistance: Kosovo 13 (Kastrati 6), San Marino 6 (Botteghi 4).
CHRONICLE AND COMMENT
In the third match of the qualifying round of the Under 16 Serie C European Championships, San Marino loses 27-55 with the hosts of Kosovo, the main favorite for the final victory. Coach Porcarelli’s boys, third in their group, will observe the rest day tomorrow (like all the other teams), while on Saturday they will meet Moldova at 13.45. The winning challenge will be on Sunday, with 5th place at stake, who will win between Gibraltar and Malta. The semifinals for the top four positions are Kosovo – Armenia and Albania – Andorra.
The match. The match begins with Kosovo ahead and with San Marino equalizing at 4-4 with the baskets of Marinelli and Gasperoni. It is a game of great difficulty, the one with the hosts. Our players are in the game but immediately put a lot of points with difficulty to refer to against an opponent of great depth. On the other hand, the great defensive tenacity does not allow Kosovo to run away immediately, with the score remaining 4-4 at 5 ‘. Then Mullaliu puts in a triple which is the beginning of the 9-0 break with which the first set ends (13-4). In the second the substance does not change, but ours do not give up, they do not sink. Marinelli scores the triple of -6 (13-7) and San Marino remains under the double-digit margin until 18-10, then Kosovo finds some baskets and goes to mid-match on 24-10.
Back from the locker rooms the great San Marino stubbornness brings the match to 24-15 in the 24th minute (Pagliarani’s basket), with the defense that remains amazing and closes every gap to the opponents. Kosovo stays ahead, reacts and then finds the first real escape in the middle of the third period, with the score 35-17 after the end of the third quarter. The match ends here, with the margin fluctuating around 20 points for the entire fourth set before the conclusion at 55-27.