Starlites JSD, Hibernians, and Luxol Sherries Estates emerged as standout teams in last weekend’s BOV Division One three-game marathon.
Meanwhile, midweek action saw AtoZ Athleta edge Valletta Lions in a nail-biter, and Hibernians secure another win against Tigers BT.
STARLITES JSD 101
ATOZ ATHLETA 83
(28-22, 25-12, 26-19, 22-30)
Starlites opened the weekend with a commanding victory over Athleta, characterised by Joe Davis’ unstoppable showing, leading his team with a game-high 34 points.
Starlites established control early, as Davis pushed up his tally with drives, jump-shots, and strong finishes in the paint. Supported by Matthew Scerri’s sharp shooting and Trevon Reddish-Rhone’s second-chance points, Starlites built a 28-22 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Athleta’s Kurt James and Caleb Matthews provided resistance, combining for 41 points, but they struggled to keep pace with Starlites’ relentless transition game.
To make things worse for Athleta, Max Curran’s three-pointer extended the lead to double digits.
By half-time, Starlites led 53-34, leaving Athleta with a mountain to climb.
Despite a valiant effort from the Gżira-based side, including Maxwell Amoafo’s efficient inside scoring, Starlites maintained their dominance. Scerri and Miguel Fabri’s late three-pointers pushed Starlites past the 100-point mark, solidifying a statement victory.
STARLITES JSD: M. Curran 13, J. Davis 34, A. Aquilina, K. Fabri 1, I. Felice Pace, M. Fabri 13, M. Scerri 15, K. Xuereb 6, K. Mortensen 2, T. Reddish-Rhone 17.
ATOZ ATHLETA: B. Zammit, R. Vitale, A. Garzia, C. Matthews, M. Azzopardi, I. Xuereb, K. James, A. Bozanic, L. Borg, J. Cefai, M. Amoafo, G. Cassar.
Referees: F. Ciurariu, N. Azzopardi, W. Lim.
SIGMA DEPIRO 89
HIBERNIANS 94
(31-26, 21-18, 19-16, 18-34)
Hibernians secured a hard-fought win over Depiro in a game that went down to the wire.
Derek Brown and Tedrick Wolfe were pivotal for Hibernians, scoring 28 and 27 points, respectively.
Meanwhile, Depiro’s Brandon Porter marked his return from injury with an impressive 18 points, while David Bugeja added 20 in a valiant effort.
Depiro started strong, with Dominic Tomasi and Porter leading early scoring runs.
However, Hibernians responded through Brown’s dominant inside play and Wolfe’s sharp shooting.
Depiro’s Cameron Cornelius tied the game late in the fourth quarter with a clutch three-pointer, but Hibernians closed out the game with a decisive dunk from Wolfe and Gouder’s fast-break layup.
SIGMA DEPIRO: S. Galea 5, D. Bugeja 20, N. Bozovic 15, L. Stefanovic, D. Tomasi 10, B. Porter 18, M. Brincat 3, C. Cornelius 18.
HIBERNIANS: N. Cassar 7, T. Wolfe 27, D. Brown 28, P. Attard, A. Axiaq 2, M. Gouder 14, M. Attard 2, M. Mallia 2, I. Demcesen 9, S. Simic 3.
Referees: G. Barbara, F. Ciurariu, M. De Flavia.
TIGERS BT 58
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES 136
(19-29, 8-41, 11-36, 20-30)
Luxol delivered the weekend’s most dominant performance, dismantling Tigers BT with a 78-point victory.
The Violets put on a merciless performance as Caleb Jones McCrary scored 40 points to emphasise Luxol’s offensive firepower.
League minnows Tigers started well, with Sassoun Saakian and Daniele Militello scoring early baskets, but Luxol quickly took over.
Jones McCrary and Darron Howard led a devastating scoring spree, with Luxol’s relentless fast-break execution stretching the lead to 70-27 by halftime.
Despite Israel Lockamy’s 17 points for Tigers, Luxol’s depth and efficiency proved too much, leaving Tigers struggling to keep up in a one-sided affair.
TIGERS BT: D. Pisani 6, S. Hamparsoumian 15, D. Borg 2, I. Lockamy 17, M. Jalkh 4, S. Saakian 8, D. Militello 6.
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES: D. Howard 27, E. Caruana Montaldo, A. Azzopardi 11, I. Azzopardi 3, JP Schembri 13, N. Xuereb 19, P. Engelbert 8, N. Bukva 8, C. Jones Mccrary 40, M. Matijevic, S. Cappello 7.
Referees: Y. Bonett, A. Attard, M. De Flavia.
Midweek Games
ATOZ ATHLETA 85
VALLETTA LIONS 82
(18-20, 21-22, 27-14, 19-26)
Midweek action kicked off with Athleta narrowly defeating Valletta 85-82 in a game that came down to the final seconds.
Billy-Joel Zammit’s buzzer-beating three-pointer sealed the win for Athleta, capping an intense fourth quarter.
The Citizens started strong, with former Athleta man Piotr Stelmach and Nikola Vasovic combining for early points.
However, Caleb Matthews and Kurt James spearheaded a comeback, with Matthews scoring consistently from midrange and James dominating in transition.
Francesco Mifsud Bonnici recorded a triple-double for Valletta, but it wasn’t enough to stop Athleta from clinching a dramatic victory.
ATOZ ATHLETA: B. Zammit 6, R. Vitale 11, C. Matthews 19, I. Xuereb 6, M. Amoafo 16, K. James 21, L. Borg, J. Cefai Garcia 4, G. Cassar 2.
VALLETTA LIONS: N. Grech 9, F. Mifsud Bonnici 10, P. Stelmach 20, D. Schembri, N. Vasovic 17, S. Vincic 3, E. Terry 23.
Referees: B. Vassallo, Z. Dobrosaviljevic, F. Ciurariu.
HIBERNIANS 109
TIGERS BT 80
(34-18, 29-18, 23-30, 23-14)
Hibernians started their week’s commitments with another commanding display against Tigers BT in a ‘top versus bottom’ clash.
Tederick Wolfe and Derek Brown continued their excellent form, scoring 27 and 28 points, respectively.
Tigers’ debutants Nathan Akade and Daniel Borg showed promise, but they struggled to contain Hibernians’ balanced offence.
Hibernians built an early lead through Wolfe’s inside scoring and Brown’s transition play.
The Tigers kept the game competitive in the first quarter, with Sassoun Saakian hitting timely baskets.
However, Hibernians’ depth proved decisive, with Matthew Gouder and Vido Kustudja stepping up in the second half to seal a comfortable win.
HIBERNIANS: N. Cassar 23, P. Attard 2, V. Kustudja 9, A. Axiaq 17, M. Gouder 14, M. Attard 18, T. Gjurovski 4, M. Mallia 7, S. Simic 15.
TIGERS BT: D. Pisani 8, S. Hamparsoumian 24, D. Borg 2, N. Akade 15, K. Micaller 16, M. Jalkh 2, S. Saakian 9, D. Militello 4.
Referees: F. Ciurariu, N. Azzopardi, M. De Flavia.
STANDINGS
Hibernians 14; AtoZ Athleta 9; Luxol Sherries Estates 8; Starlites JSD, Valletta Lions 7; SiGMA Depiro, Tigers BT 6.
