Luxol break Starlites’ streak
Last weekend’s basketball action saw Hibernians prevail in a thrilling double-overtime battle against Depiro in the John Tabone Shield, while Luxol put an end to Starlites’ unbeaten domestic streak. Athleta also secured a dominant win over Tigers BT in a high-scoring affair.
These encounters confirmed the semi-final pairings as Hibs will now face Starlites while Depiro will play Luxol.
HIBERNIANS 104
SIGMA DEPIRO 101
(24-14, 18-22, 19-18, 16-23,
8-8, 19-16)
In the standout game of the weekend, Hibernians and Depiro delivered a basketball spectacle that went down to the wire.
After two overtimes, Hibernians emerged victorious, in large part thanks to Derek Brown’s 32-point performance and Tedrick Wolfe’s solid contribution of 25 points.
Depiro started strong, with Cameron Cornelius and Nikola Bozovic scoring early to give them a 5-0 lead. However, Hibernians quickly recovered, driven by Brown, who was active both inside and outside the paint.
By the end of the first quarter, Hibernians held a comfortable 24-14 lead.
Depiro, led by Brandon Porter, whom they signed in the final moments of the transfer window reserved for import players, fought back fiercely in the second quarter. Porter finished his debut with 37 points, including some crucial fast-break layups.
Hibernians player Ivan Demcesen was dominant in the paint, and his efforts helped his team maintain a slim lead for his team, but Porter’s relentless scoring kept Depiro in the game. By halftime, Hibernians were 42-36 ahead.
The second half saw a resurgent Depiro, who managed to take the lead at various points in the third quarter, thanks to Porter and Cornelius, as they capitalised on turnovers.
However, Hibs continued to fight, with Brown and Wolfe driving the game into overtime, thanks to a last gasp three-pointer from Brown to tie it at 77-77.
In the first overtime, both teams exchanged baskets, with David Bugeja and Brown taking the spotlight.
A crucial eurostep finish from Wolfe and some key free throws kept Hibernians alive, leading to a second overtime at 85-85.
The second overtime saw Hibernians pull away, as Neil Cassar and Matthew Gouder hit timely baskets, and Brown and Wolfe sealed the deal with free throws in the final seconds.
HIBERNIANS: N. Cassar 15, T. Wolfe 25, D. Brown 32, P. Attard, A. Axiaq, M. Gouder 4, M. Attard 3, M. Mallia 2, I. Demcesen 19, S. Simic 4.
SIGMA DEPIRO: C. Barrs 5, S. Galea, D. Bugeja 13, N. Bozovic 10, L. Stefanovic, D. Tomasi 5, M. Brincat 12, C. Cornelius 19, B. Porter 37.
Referees B. Vassallo, N. Rincon, N. Azzopardi.
STARLITES JSD 86
LUXOL SHERRIES 96
(23-24, 25-25, 15-22, 23-25)
Luxol delivered a major upset as they broke Starlites’ domestic unbeaten streak with a 10-point victory.
Darron Howard’s 29 points and Caleb Jones McCrary’s 19-point display were key to Luxol’s success.
For Starlites, Trevon Reddish Rhone put up an impressive 33 points, but it wasn’t enough to stave off defeat.
Luxol started the game aggressively, with Howard scoring a three-pointer and Jones McCrary adding quick points off turnovers.
The dynamic Luxol duo seem to have gelled in the bets way with key contributions throughout this Shield campaign.
Starlites, led by Reddish Rhone and Matthew Scerri, responded well, managing to close the gap to 24-23 by the end of the first quarter, after a late flurry of free throws from Reddish Rhone.
In the second quarter, Starlites took their first lead of the game through Aquilina’s three-pointer, pushing ahead 26-24.
Reddish Rhone and Scerri continued to lead the charge, but Luxol’s Jandric made an immediate impact on his return from injury, draining a crucial three-pointer that shifted momentum back in Luxol’s favour.
By half-time, Luxol had regained a 49-48 lead.
The third quarter belonged to Luxol as Howard and Jones McCrary attacked the paint.
Howard’s accurate shooting, combined with Jones McCrary’s ability to finish at the rim, saw Luxol build a significant lead, taking the score to 71-63 going into the final quarter.
In the fourth, Luxol secured their victory with a series of long-range shots and powerful layups.
Jandric’s three-pointer and Howard’s late free throws ensured there would be no late comeback from Starlites, as Luxol pulled away to victory.
STARLITES: M. Curran 4, J. Davis 9, A. Aquilina 10, I. Felice Pace 5, M. Fabri 5, M. Scerri 14, K. Xuereb 1, K. Mortensen 5, T. Reddish 33.
LUXOL SHERRIES: D. Howard 29, I. Azzopardi, V. Jandric 15, JP Schembri 7, N. Xuereb 16, N. Bukva, C. Jones McCrary 19, S. Cappello 10.
Referees Z. Dobrosaviljevic, F. Ciurariu, M. De Flavia.
ATOZ ATHLETA 122
TIGERS BT 64
(30-16, 27-17, 20-17, 45-14)
In a game which held little value towards semifinals qualification, Athleta demolished Tigers BT 122-64 in a high-scoring one-sided affair. Kurt James was the star of the show, racking up a game-high 43 points, while Caleb Matthews added 28 points to the scoreboard.
Tigers BT began the game with a quick 5-0 run, but Athleta soon found their groove. Matthews’ three-pointer sparked a rapid response from Athleta, and James’ fast-break layups and strong inside play pushed their lead to 30-16 by the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw Athleta dominate, as Mirco Azzopardi and James continued to exploit turnovers, extending the lead to 57-33 by halftime. Tigers BT struggled to keep up, with only Matthew Brown’s consistent scoring providing any resistance.
The third quarter saw more of the same as James led the charge for Athleta, scoring at will and delivering crowd-pleasing dunks. Matthews added further three-pointers, and Athleta’s defence forced turnovers that were converted into easy points. By the end of the quarter, Athleta led by a commanding 77-46.
In the final quarter, Athleta continued to dominate, with Luca Borg and Andrej Bozanic adding to Tigers BT’s woes with fastbreak points. James capped off his spectacular performance with a flurry of points, and Athleta cruised to a 122-64 victory in a comprehensive display of offensive firepower.
ATOZ ATHLETA: K. Fabri 3, C. Matthews 28, K. James 43, B. Zammit 2, R. Vitale 16, L. Borg 9, A. Bozanic 6, M. Farrugia, A. Garzia, J. Cefai Garcia 6, M. Azzopardi 9.
TIGERS BT: E. Masilungan 2, M. Brown 25, K. Micaller 13, M. Jalkh 7, D. Costantino 4, J. Lisondra 5, S. Saakian 8.
Referees F. Ciurariu, N. Rincon, N. Azzopardi.
