GIBRALTAR (FIBA)—Anna Aslanian kept growing game-to-game, and her triple-double in the finals secured her the most valuable player (MVP) honors, paving the way for Armenia’s 63-44 win over Malta in the 2017 FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship Division C finals.
Aslanian takes home the trophy after averaging 17.4 points, 16.2 rebounds, 3.6 block,s and 3.6 assists per game for the gold medal winner, Armenia. She scored in double-digits in every single game, including a monster performance in Armenia’s win in the final versus Malta on July 29, with 22 points, 31 rebounds, and 12 blocks.
The entire team from Malta had six blocks throughout the Championship. Aslanian saved twice as many just for the Final outing, finishing the game with 22 points, 31 rebounds, 12 blocks and sevan assists. She almost singlehandedly outrebounded Malta, who had 39 rebounds.
Aslanian’s performance gave her a 57 player efficiency rating, and she had a nice supporting cast in Kristina Melikyan and Ani Hovhannisyan. Melikyan collected 17 points, Hovhannisyan had 16, as Armenia played superb defense in the second half and held Malta to just 19 points after the break.
Malta struggled with their shooting percentage, connecting on 19-of-79 shots from the field. With such a poor shooting performance, they could not make their 18-7 edge in steals count. Michaela Zammit Cordina was their lone ranger in double figures with 15 points.
Joining Aslanian in the All-Star Five in the tournament are Mariam Okropiridze, Agnesa Rrahmani, Mireya Benitez Lopez, and Michela Zammit Cordina. Okropiridze had 32 points for Georgia in the Third-Place Game, hitting 6-of-13 from the great beyond, and her tournament averages were 19 points and six assists per outing.
