There was another huge disappointment for Malta’s girls in the basketball hall yesterday afternoon as they were overwhelmed by a superior Iceland side which took the lead in the first session and never looked back to win with a big margin.
As Italian coach Santino Coppa predicted the day before, it was a very difficult match for the Maltese girls who seem to be unable to get to grips with their opponents, at least after the opening two matches. Gone are those brilliant performances which had earned them the gold medal in the Malta games.
Yesterday they were only in the game in the first session as Iceland took a small two-point lead but then increased it to six (19-13), by the end of the first quarter.
In the second session, Iceland continued to increase their lead, first to 29-17 and later to 47-27 to enjoy a healthy 20-point lead at the interval.
The gap continued to increase in the third session as the Iceland girls pressed home their obvious superiority. By now it was 68-35.
The Maltese lasses were never in the game and even in the fourth and final session, Iceland maintained their superiority to finish the game with a 38-point lead.
It is to be mentioned that Prof. Coppa made use of all his younger and inexperienced players during the final session.
Malta: Rachel Camilleri 3, Dorianne Galea 4, Sandra Schembri Wismayer 2, Alexis Darmanin, Annie Jetcheva 2, Greta Zarb, Doreen Parnis 2, Kirsten Micallef 3, Marleen Troost 6, Beverlee Zammit 2, Josephine Grima 26, Caroline Fenech.
Bronze at stake against Andorra today
Italian coach Prof. Santino Coppa said after yesterday’s match that the defeat was no disaster. Instead, he said it was formed part of the ‘start of the future of Maltese women’s basketball.’
Coppa said he had predicted the defeat and added he could not expect any better from his mostly inexperienced girls. “Do not forget we have six new faces. But this is the future. We have started on the same track as we had done before achieving the miracle two years ago. Iceland have also shown great superiority.
Last year they also mauled us but it is now the final match against Andorra that I expect my girls to do well and obtain a good result.
We will be playing for the bronze medal and I expect it to be a much closer match against a team which is more or less of the same caliber as that of ours,” he said.
MBA president Magistrate Antonio Mizzi admitted Iceland were absolutely superior to us. “Our girls were overwhelmed but we cannot say anything, except that we have to work a lot harder to get better prepared for our next competitions. Now we must look forward to the match against Andorra today.
There we will be fighting for the bronze and I think it is a 50-50 game where the result could go either way. I do not think it is impossible.
Our girls must keep our feet to the ground. We just hope that they will rise to the occasion and finish the competition on a positive note,” he added.