Ireland go undefeated to win FIBA European Championship for Small Countries 2021 title
FIBA European Championship for Small Countries hosts Ireland were proclaimed champions on Sunday in Dublin after concluding the tournament on a perfect 4-0 record.
FIBA European Championship for Small Countries hosts Ireland were proclaimed champions on Sunday in Dublin after concluding the tournament on a perfect 4-0 record.
Ireland, who were coming off a bronze-medal success in the previous edition of the competition in 2018, have now conquered the trophy twice. They won their maiden gold on the previous occasion they hosted the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries in Dublin, back in 1994.
On Sunday, Ireland capped off their unbeaten campaign with a 97-66 victory over Malta in the crucial final game. Andorra took second place on a 3-1 record, Malta finished in third place at 2-2 while San Marino defeated Gibraltar on the final day and came in fourth.
Andorra point guard Guillem Colom was voted the MVP of tournament, after averaging 21.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Colom headlines a tournament All-Star Five which also includes Gibraltar’s Miguel Ortega, Malta’s Aaron Falzon and the Irish duo of Jordan Blount and John Paul Carroll.
The 2021 champions had the highest-scoring offense of the competition, averaging an impressive 103.2 points per game. Ireland also had the best defense, giving up only 67.2 points per contest.
Fonte: FIBA.