Starlites confirm Division One’s top seed

SiGMA Depiro sealed the door shut behind them for this year’s BOV Men’s Division One playoffs with their seventh consecutive victory, indirectly aiding Starlites JSD to take sole leadership of the standings in the final round of regular season games after the title holders beat Luxol on Sunday at the Ta’ Qali Pavilion. Meanwhile, Hibernians made the most out of their final game of the season with a strong win against Valletta Fighters.

MELLIEHA LIBERTAS 90

SIGMA DEPIRO 98

(20-21, 25-25, 26-28, 19-24)

Depiro’s Alfred Hollins, usually coming off the bench, was given the nod to start and he repaid the faith with a 24-point outing to lead his team’s scoring ahead of Kameron Rooks who followed with a 23-point, 15-rebound double-double.

At the other end, Kwame Thompson continued his rich vein of form to top the game’s scoring chart with 27 points. Alexander Peacock added another 19 points, completing a double-double with 14 rebounds.

Thompson was first on the scoresheet with a layup, followed by compatriot Peacock for an early four-point lead.

Hollins provided Depiro’s response with a close-range effort, but Thompson was again on target after driving through the Mtarfa side’s defence.

It was the opening Mellieha needed, having been leapfrogged by Starlites the week before, as they opened a double-digit lead after just three minutes of play.

Despite this, Ruben Baldacchino’s clan got going with their second make – a three-pointer from Miguel Brincat – to start their comeback. They proved their winning streak was a case of great form when they eventually changed leads in the final seconds of the first quarter with another three-ball, this time from Sean Galea.

Miguel Mallia hit first in the second quarter as Depiro continued where they left off. However, just like the previous rubber, it was a clash resembling the tempo and intensity of the coming weeks as both sides will be fighting for the coveted title in the playoffs. There was no separating the teams throughout the quarter as Depiro kept up the same one-point lead at 46-45 with a pair of Rooks freethrows one second from the halftime break.

One of two freethrows from Mellieha’s Robert Bonnici initiated the second half as the teams were back level after 30 seconds of play.

April BOV Player of the Month Cameron Cornelius hit from mid-range to retake the lead for Depiro and it looked as though the Mtarfa side would create space between them and the Northerners as they led by eight midway through the rubber, but Mellieha fought back to bring it down to a three-point game at the end of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was Depiro’s ace as a Brincat layup through traffic kickstarted the scoring again. Tedrick Wolfe hit from mid-range to reply for Mellieha but accuracy became an issue on offence for Ian Terribile’s clan and Depiro opened a double-digit lead with a Rooks score 6.20 from the final buzzer. This was a lead Depiro guarded with their lives as Mellieha could only reduce the margin to eight by the end of the game.

MELLIEHA LIBERTAS T. Wolfe 18, D. Bugeja 9, R. Bonnici 8, I. Bonett, R. Carabott 2, A. Peacock 19, K. Thompson 27, E. Valdespina 3, C. Mercurio 4.

SIGMA DEPIRO S. Galea 5, L. Trapani, A. Aquilina 4, A. Hollins 24, A. Micallef, K. Rooks 23, M. Brincat 12, M. Mallia 11, C. Cornelius 12, N. Bukva 7, M. Debattista.

Referees F. Fabok, N. Azzopardi, N. Rincon.

LUXOL 79

STARLITES JSD 91

(24-23, 15-22, 14-27, 26-19)

It was a monster game for Starlites’ big man Kurt James who led the game’s scoring with 34 points in a victory stemming from the title holders’ experience. With nearly half the points, Nikola Jovanovic was Luxol’s top scorer, putting up 16 points. Marko Matijevic was another important cog in the Violets’ machine, finishing with a 12 points-12 rebounds double-double.

Despite being out of contention for the playoffs, Duncan Fenech’s Luxol started the game strong out of the blocks with a solid first quarter. Jovanovic hit first with a close-range effort after swift passing around the three-point line. James replied for Starlites and a tit-for-tat began with Luxol holding a one-point lead at the first buzzer after a pair of late Adam Azzopardi freethrows.

Starlites’ Matthew Scerri restarted the scoring in the second quarter with a complete and-one play and the title holders began to show their mettle as the game progressed. Starlites launched a full-blown attack in the final minutes of the first half to establish a six-point advantage over the Violets by the halftime break.

Davonte Craven reopened proceedings with four straight points after the change of ends to make it a double-digit game. Jovanovic was again Luxol’s target man with a three-pointer.

Luxol managed to fight back and bring their deficit down to four points midway through the third quarter but Starlites pushed back with James leading the charge as Paul Ferrante’s side took over again, heading into the final rubber 19 points ahead.

Matijevic began Luxol’s battle for recovery in the fourth quarter with points in the paint before Craven hit one of two from the line as Starlites looked to close out the game. And it was their third-quarter surge that did the trick as Luxol were at their best again but with a margin so big, that would surely mean a tough 10 minutes of play.

The Violets managed to put up 26 points but after conceding 19 from their opponents, they could only bring their deficit down to 12 points by the final buzzer.

LUXOL S. Pace 7, I. Azzopardi, N. Jovanovic 16, A. Azzopardi 13, JP Schembri 12, N. Xuereb 5, P. Engelbert, M. Matijevic 12, S. Cappello 14.

STARLITES JSD A. Felice Pace 10, C. Hinckson 6, M. Attard 8, S. Aquilina 3, I. Felice Pace, K. Fabri 1, M. Scerri 12, D. Craven 10, L. Farrugia 7, L. Riolo, N. Sultana, K. James 34.

Referees N. Rincon, D. Farrugia, F. Ciurariu.

HIBERNIANS 99

VALLETTA FIGHTERS 65

(22-10, 22-22, 23-23, 32-10)

Hibs coach Mario Tabone started a very different five to the team’s previous games, giving space to the younger players who had not been utilised as much throughout the season coupled with the experience of Matthew Attard and Ivan Demcesen. The latter led the game with 25 points and 20 rebounds. Luke Farrugia followed with 21 points despite coming off the bench. For the Citizens, Ulhas Satyanarayan led with 21 points while Neil Cassar followed with a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds.  

Hibs’ Demcesen started the scoring with a pair of freethrows. The Serbian centre drove through for the next two points before Stefan Simic fired in from three-point range.

Valletta looked unable to hit their shots early on and Hibs took full advantage, causing problems to the Citizens’ defence and going 10 points ahead from another Simic three-ball.

Matthew Farrugia finally bagged Valletta’s first points with a swift individual action four minutes into the proceedings. Reuben Curmi made it a six-point game before Farrugia grabbed second-chance points before another Hibs triple, this time from Demcesen.

Valletta added another four points to their first-quarter scoring, but it was a 12-point Paolites lead after 10 minutes of play.

Paul Attard came off the bench to kickstart the second quarter with a three-pointer as Hibs continued asserting dominance in the game. Cassar issued Valletta’s response when he fired in a pin-point triple before dunking from an alley-oop pass. Satyanarayan, who provided the pass, was next to score the next two baskets as the Citizens began to fight back. In turn, another Cassar triple made it a five-point game.

The game fell into the balance until the halftime buzzer with Hibs holding the 12-point advantage from the game’s first quarter at the break.

After the change of ends, Jhun Jhun Lisondra rose for a layup to restart the scoring. Satyanarayan and Cassar followed suit but the third rubber was just as balanced for the sides, with both teams finding a way to counter each other.

The final rubber was the winning quarter for the Paolites however as added to their 12-point lead, Hibs found the energy for a final push. They bumped their lead up to 31 points with three minutes remaining and it was game over as the fifth-place side maintained their big lead until the final buzzer.

HIBERNIANS P. Attard 5, L. Attard 8, L. Farrugia 21, A. Axiaq 11, R. Aquilina 12, M. Attard 8, I. Demcesen 25, S. Simic 9.

VALLETTA FIGHTERS N. da Silva 2, S. Saakian, R. Curmi 4, A. Attard 8, M. Farrugia 4, J. Lisondra 7, U. Satyanarayan 21, N. Cassar 19.

Referees N. Azzopardi, G. Russo, F. Fabok.

FINAL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS

Starlites JSD 33; Mellieha Libertas 31; Athleta 29*; SiGMA Depiro 28; Hibernians 27; Luxol 23; Valletta Fighters 17.

*Athleta did not feature in last weekend’s games.