Last weekend’s action in the BOV Division One saw the return to play after this season’s winter break and teams from the division waste no time in delivering thrilling contests as Hibernians, Luxol, and Depiro all secured critical victories.
While Hibernians’ third-quarter dominance crushed Valletta’s hopes, Luxol consolidated their third-place standing with a convincing win over Athleta, and Depiro extended their unbeaten record against Tigers BT this season with another commanding display.
VALLETTA LIONS 58
HIBERNIANS 73
(13-17, 20-18, 6-24, 19-14)
Hibernians claimed an important win to stay in the hunt for first place, overpowering Valletta in a game decided by a monumental third quarter.
The game began with Eric Terry scoring for the Citizens, matched by Ivan Demcesen’s fast-break layup for Hibernians. Piotr Stelmach and Tedrick Wolfe exchanged scoring spurts in the opening quarter, with Hibernians pulling ahead 17-13.
Valletta mounted a fightback in the second quarter, with Stelmach’s floaters and Nicholas Grech’s three-pointers keeping the game tight.
New boy Myles Carter’s contributions in the paint helped the Capital club close the gap, but Hibernians’ consistency, led by Demcesen and Matthew Gouder, gave them a 35-33 advantage at half-time.
The third quarter was where the Paolites took control, coach Christian Narciso’s clan outscoring Valletta 24-6.
Wolfe’s relentless offence and Derek Brown’s efficiency in transition extended the lead.
Valletta’s offence stalled, as turnovers paved the way for easy points from Neil Cassar and Gouder. By the end of the quarter, Hibernians held a commanding 59-39 lead.
Despite late efforts from Terry and Stelmach, Valletta’s deficit proved too large to overcome as Wolfe’s 28-point performance, supported by Demcesen’s interior play, highlighted Hibernians’ superiority.
VALLETTA LIONS: N. Grech 9, F. Mifsud Bonnici 2, M. Carter 8, P. Stelmach 18, N. Vasovic 2, S. Vincic 3, E. Terry 16.
HIBERNIANS: N. Cassar 7, T. Wolfe 28, D. Brown 14, P. Attard, L. Farrugia, A. Axiaq 2, M. Gouder 8, M. Attard 2, M. Mallia, I. Demcesen 12.
Referees: B. Vassallo, G. Erdos, H. Hotaki.
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES 114
ATOZ ATHLETA 73
(29-22, 30-15, 33-23, 22-13)
Luxol consolidated third place with a resounding victory over Athleta, led by an exceptional 42-point performance from Darron Howard.
Although Athleta started strong with an early lead courtesy of Juan Cefai Garcia and Kurt James, Luxol quickly responded.
Howard’s sharp-shooting, including several three-pointers, turned the tide in Luxol’s favour by the end of the first quarter, with a 29-22 advantage.
The second quarter saw the Violets extend their lead through Caleb Jones-McCrary’s second-chance points and Adam Azzopardi’s fast-break layups.
Athleta’s Maxwell Amoafo provided resistance in the paint, but Luxol’s defensive pressure created turnovers, leading to fast-break opportunities for Vukasin Jandric and Nenad Bukva.
By half-time, coach Duncan Fenech’s Luxol had built a commanding 59-37 lead.
In the third quarter, Howard continued his dominance, surpassing 30 points with a combination of layups, free throws, and three-pointers. Stefano Cappello and Jandric contributed to Luxol’s scoring spree, while Athleta’s Caleb Matthews fought valiantly, recording several key baskets. Luxol ended the quarter with an unassailable 92-60 lead.
The final quarter saw Luxol’s depth shine, with Marko Matijevic and Bukva adding late points. Despite Amoafo’s efforts, Athleta struggled to keep pace as Luxol took the win.
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES: D. Howard 42, A. Azzopardi 7, I. Azzopardi, V. Jandric 8, JP Schembri 9, N. Xuereb 16, N. Bukva 9, C. Jones-McCrary 8, M. Matijevic 4, S. Cappello 11.
ATOZ ATHLETA: A. Garzia, C. Matthews 15, I. Xuereb 1, K. James 18, M. Farrugia 2, A. Bozanic, J. Cefai Garcia 15, M. Amoafo 16, G. Cassar.
Referees: Z. Dobrosaviljevic, F. Ciurariu, M. De Flavia.
TIGERS BT 65
SIGMA DEPIRO 121
(7-42, 19-20, 16-26, 27-38)
Depiro maintained their dominance over Tigers BT this season, registering their third consecutive victory against their opponents on Sunday.
Alessio Trapani set the tone with an opening three-pointer, and Brandon Porter quickly took over, delivering a series of thunderous dunks and outside shots.
The Tigers struggled to respond, with only Darryl Pisani finding the basket early on. Depiro surged to a 42-7 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Tigers showed flashes of resilience in the second quarter, with Albert Varcallo and Miguel Baldacchino chipping away at the deficit.
However, Depiro’s Nikola Bozovic and Dominic Tomasi controlled the paint, while Porter continued to punish turnovers with fast-break dunks. By halftime, Depiro led 62-26.
The third quarter followed a similar script, with Matthew Debattista and Cameron Cornelius joining Porter in extending Depiro’s lead.
Sassoun Saakian and Serge Hamparsoumian tried to spark a Tigers BT rally, but their efforts couldn’t shift the momentum. Depiro closed the quarter with an 88-42 lead.
In the final quarter, David Bugeja’s scoring spree and Tomasi’s inside presence sealed the emphatic victory.
TIGERS BT: D. Pisani 5, S. Hamparsoumian 21, K. Micaller 4, M. Baldacchino 5, A. Varcallo 22, S. Saakian 12.
SIGMA DEPIRO: S. Galea 2, D. Bugeja 24, N. Bozovic 7, N. Zivkovic 6, L. Stefanovic 2, A. Trapani 12, D. Tomasi 17, B. Porter 25, MM. Brincat 6, C. Cornelius 10, M. Debattista 15.
Referees: N. Rincon, W. Lim, M. De Flavia.
STANDINGS
Hibernians 20; Valletta Lions 16; Starlites JSD, Luxol Sherries Estates 15; SiGMA Depiro, AtoZ Athleta 14; Tigers BT 11.
