Hibernians and Luxol Sherries Estates booked their spot in this season’s John Tabone Shield final, after they both claimed hard-fought wins against Starlites JSD and SiGMA Depiro respectively at the Ta’ Qali Pavilion on Sunday.
The two sides will now face each other this weekend in a do-or-die fixture between the only two unbeaten sides in the competition as the pair have both had impressive starts to the new season.
HIBERNIANS 83
STARLITES 71
(17-18, 19-17, 15-11, 32-25)
Hibernians made their mark early in their clash with Starlites, showing composure on both ends of the court as Derek Brown and Matthew Gouder set the tempo with quick scores, while Tedrick Wolfe, who went on to lead the game in scoring with 32 points, drove relentlessly to the basket.
Starlites, however, responded quickly, with Joe Davis and Trevon Reddish-Rhone capitalising on turnovers to close the gap.
This gave Starlites a small edge before a sharp three-pointer from Max Curran and another from Andrew Aquilina helped push them into the lead.
Wolfe’s impressive alley-oop dunk at the end of the quarter gave Hibernians a momentary advantage, though late free throws from Davis saw Starlites edge out the quarter 18-17.
Wolfe carried his strong form into the second quarter, levelling the score with a well-placed jumpshot. Ivan Demcesen then contributed from the free-throw line, allowing Hibernians to regain a slim lead.
Reddish-Rhone continued to threaten with an accurate jumpshot, but Wolfe’s persistence in the paint, combined with Demcesen’s second-chance points, provided Hibernians with a narrow advantage.
Curran’s scoring runs kept Starlites competitive, but they still trailed 36-35 at halftime.
Reddish-Rhone opened the third quarter on a high note for Starlites, pouring in back-to-back layups followed by a fierce dunk that handed his side a five-point lead. But Hibernians quickly fought back as Wolfe hit a three-pointer to keep the game tight.
Demcesen’s rebounding paid dividends as he added crucial second-chance points and free throws, tipping the scales back in Hibernias’ favour by the end of the third at 51-46.
Hibernians carried their momentum into the final quarter, stretching their lead with a three-pointer from Gouder and a shot from Matthew Attard, pulling ahead by ten points. Wolfe’s athleticism continued to shine as he completed a fast-break dunk that extended their lead to 13.
Even though Starlites battled fiercely, landing late three-pointers from Curran, Kolten Mortensen, and Xuereb, Hibernians stayed composed under pressure. Wolfe’s accuracy at the freethrow line in the final minute, alongside Brown’s steady performance, secured the win at the final buzzer.
HIBERNIANS: N. Cassar 4, T. Wolfe 32, D. Brown 12, P. Attard, A. Axiaq, M. Gouder 7, M. Attard 7, M. Mallia 2, I. Demcesen 17, S. Simic 2.
STARLITES JSD: M.Curran 15, A. Aquilina 5, I. Felice Pace, M. Fabri 5, J. Davis 12, M. Scerri 2, K. Xuereb 6, T. Reddish-Rhone 19, K. Mortensen 7.
Referees: B. Vassallo, F. Ciurariu, N. Rincon.
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES 78
SIGMA DEPIRO 69
(20-13, 21-19, 15-13, 22-24)
In the other semifinal, Luxol continued their unbeaten run with a decisive victory over Depiro. Darron Howard led Luxol’s charge with a high-scoring, energetic performance, amassing 27 points and proving pivotal to Luxol’s success.
The first quarter saw Luxol gain momentum early on, with Howard scoring after Depiro’s Cameron Cornelius opened with a jump shot.
Luxol steadily built a 6-0 lead through consistent contributions from Caleb Jones McCrary and Howard. Depiro’s Dominic Tomasi then found his range, narrowing the margin, but Luxol’s offence remained in good form.
Howard and Jones McCrary’s scoring consistency put Luxol ahead 20-13 by the end of the quarter.
The second quarter saw Luxol expand their lead as Jones McCrary opened with two free throws. Depiro’s David Bugeja answered with key shots to close the deficit to five points, but Howard quickly responded with a three-pointer that kept Luxol in control.
Cornelius nailed a three-ball to keep Depiro within striking range, but Howard’s offensive skill and Jones McCrary’s versatility pushed the score to 41-32 by halftime.
Howard continued his impressive form in the third quarter, converting layups off fast breaks and capitalising on second chances. Luxol gained their largest lead of the game, stretching to 48-35 after a three-pointer from Nathan Xuereb.
Depiro fought back through Nikola Bozovic’s scoring, but Jones McCrary and Howard held firm to close the quarter at 56-45, keeping Depiro at bay.
The final quarter saw Depiro intensify their efforts, with Tomasi landing a three-pointer and Barrs putting up points in the paint to chip away at Luxol’s lead.
However, Luxol’s composure shone through as Jones McCrary scored a crucial tip-in, while Howard’s late three-pointer helped to stave off Depiro’s comeback attempts. Freethrows by Jandric and a final layup sealed the win.
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES: D. Howard 27, I. Azzopardi, V. Jandric 14, JP Schembri, N. Xuereb 12, N. Bukva, C. Jones McCrary 23, S. Cappello 2.
SIGMA DEPIRO: C. Barrs 11, S. Galea 3, D. Bugeja 15, N. Bozovic 12, L. Stefanovic 2, D. Tomasi 7, M. Brincat 5, C. Cornelius 14.
Referees: F. Fabok, N. Azzopardi, Z. Dobrosaviljevic.
