Last weekend brought together teams for another BOV Division One marathon at the Ta’ Qali Pavilion, seeing leaders Hibernians sticking to their top spot in the standings with a win over SiGMA Depiro, while Starlites JSD and Luxol Sherries Estates cruised past AtoZ Athleta and Tigers Bt respectively.
ATOZ ATHLETA 72
STARLITES JSD 115
(15-27, 20-30, 17-30, 20-28)
Athleta and Starlites faced off in a high-paced BOV Division One matchup, with the title holders pulling away to secure a comprehensive victory. Their dominant offensive execution and defensive intensity set the tone early, leaving Athleta struggling to keep up.
Starlites took control in the first quarter as Chris Paul and Ian Felice Pace combined for early points in the paint, establishing a 6-2 lead.
Caleb Matthews answered with a jumper for Athleta, but the visitors extended their advantage through Trevon Reddish-Rhone’s fast-break layups and a three-pointer from Miguel Fabri. Starlites capitalised on turnovers, creating a double-digit gap at 25-11 before late baskets from Juan Garcia Cefai narrowed the margin to 27-15.
The second quarter saw Starlites consolidate their lead. Reddish-Rhone continued his relentless scoring, adding layups and free throws, while Paul’s driving layups kept Athleta’s defence off balance. Kurt James provided a spark for Athleta with a three-pointer and a driving layup, but the home side’s efforts were insufficient to stop Starlites’ surge.
Key contributions from Max Curran, including a fast-break dunk, further extended the lead. By halftime, Starlites held a commanding 57-35 advantage.
Athleta attempted to mount a comeback in the third quarter, with Matthews sinking free throws and James finishing a reverse layup.
However, Starlites’ Paul and Reddish-Rhone maintained their scoring rhythm, converting inside opportunities and free throws. Curran’s three-pointers and fast-break plays were instrumental in widening the gap further.
Late in the quarter, Maxwell Amoafo’s layup and James’ driving basket provided brief moments of relief for Athleta, but the deficit remained tough at 85-51.
In the final quarter, Starlites continued to dominate, with Curran delivering a highlight reel of dunks, layups, and a three-pointer. Matthews fought valiantly for Athleta, contributing consistently with jump shots and free throws.
Despite his efforts, Starlites’ relentless fast-break attacks and second-chance opportunities allowed them to maintain their lead. Reddish-Rhone’s finishing touches and Curran’s late-scoring exploits sealed a decisive victory.
ATOZ ATHLETA: A. Garzia, C. Matthews 23, K. James 19, M. Farrugia, A. Bozanic 7, L. Borg 3, J. Cefai Garcia 8, M. Amoafo 12, G. Cassar.
STARLITES JSD: M. Curran 30, A. Aquilina 3, K. Fabri 6, I. Felice Pace 10, M. Fabri 8, L. Riolo, M. Scerri, C. Paul 25, L. Farrugia 4, K. Xuereb 5, N. Sultana, T. Reddish-Rhone.
Referees: B. Vassallo, N. Rincon, M. De Flavia.
HIBERNIANS 106
SIGMA DEPIRO 83
(28-18, 21-22, 32-20, 25-23)
Hibernians maintained their position as league leaders with a commanding performance against Depiro. The game began with Depiro’s Cornelius Cameron scoring an early three-pointer, but Hibernians quickly responded through Tedrick Wolfe and Derek Brown, who combined for successive baskets to give their team a narrow edge.
The first quarter saw the Paolites steadily pull away, with Wolfe’s fast-break layups and Matthew Gouder’s three-pointer pushing the lead to double digits. Brown’s dominance in the paint was pivotal, and his driving layup in the final minute ensured a 28-18 advantage at the break.
Depiro attempted to fight back in the second quarter, led by Brandon Porter’s relentless scoring. Porter’s three-point play and subsequent layups kept the Mtarfa side within striking distance. However, Christian Narciso’s clan regained control as Brown’s jump shots and fast-break layups widened the gap. Wolfe added a crucial three-pointer, while Gouder’s consistent scoring extended the lead to 49-40 by halftime.
The third quarter proved decisive as Hibernians tightened their defence and capitalised on turnovers. Ivan Demcesen contributed with second-chance points, while Wolfe’s athleticism shone through with fast-break layups and a fadeaway jumper.
Brown continued to dominate, adding another three-pointer and a fast-break dunk. Depiro’s Nikola Bozovic managed to hit key shots, including a three-pointer, but Hibernians entered the final quarter with a comfortable 81-60 lead.
The fourth quarter saw Hibernians seal the game. Wolfe capped his stellar performance with a dunk and a series of layups, bringing his total to 32 points. Brown’s second-chance opportunities and a tip-in maintained the momentum, while Gouder’s late free throws added to the tally. Despite Porter’s final efforts for Depiro, Hibernians cruised to victory.
HIBERNIANS: N. Cassar 2, T. Wolfe 32, D. Brown 30, P. Attard, L. Farrugia, V. Kustudja 3, A. Axiaq, M. Gouder 20, M. Attard 3, M. Mallia 3, I. Demcesen 11, S. Simic 2.
BETSSON DEPIRO: S. Galea 2, D. Bugeja 4, N. Bozovic 18, L. Stefanovic, D. Tomasi, B. Porter 28, M. Brincat 14, C. Cornelius 14, M. Debattista 3.
Referees: B. Vassallo, Z. Dobrosaviljevic, N. Rincon.
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES 126
TIGERS BT 67
(35-22, 32-9, 35-17, 24-19)
Luxol demonstrated their squad depth with a dominant performance over the Tigers in the BOV Division One. Relying heavily on their local youth players for their offence throughout this encounter, Luxol controlled the game from the outset and never relinquished their lead.
Luxol’s offensive execution was evident early on as Nathan Xuereb drilled three consecutive three-pointers in the opening minutes, giving the team a 9-2 lead. Tigers BT’s Kendall Jordan responded with a fadeaway jumper, followed shortly by Keith Micaller’s three-pointer to reduce the deficit.
However, Luxol regained momentum through a three-pointer by Darron Howard and a fast-break dunk by Caleb Jones-McCrary, pushing the lead to double digits at 22-13.
Tigers BT’s Jordan was their only consistent offensive spark, scoring eight of his team’s points in the first quarter, including a three-point play. Despite his efforts, Luxol’s balanced scoring saw them end the quarter with a commanding 35-22 advantage.
The second quarter further highlighted Luxol’s dominance. Jones-McCrary’s quick tip-in and Howard’s fast-break three-pointer extended the lead to 42-22. Luxol’s defensive pressure forced turnovers, creating easy scoring opportunities.
Adam Azzopardi’s three-point shooting and Jones-McCrary’s inside presence widened the gap, with the latter capping the half with a spectacular dunk. Luxol entered halftime with an overwhelming 67-31 lead.
The third quarter began in similar fashion, with Azzopardi hitting another three-pointer and Xuereb converting off a turnover.
Tigers’ Jordan briefly stopped the bleeding with a floating jump shot, but Luxol continued to pile on points. Contributions from Marko Matijevic and JP Schembri ensured the lead ballooned to 102-48 by the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Luxol’s depth shone brightly as they rotated their bench players. Stefan Cappello and Philip Engelbert added points in the paint, while Jordan continued to fight valiantly for the Tigers, finishing with an impressive 34 points. Despite his heroics, Luxol took the win at the final buzzer.
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES: D. Howard 17, E. Caruana Montaldo 2, A. Azzopardi 17, I. Azzopardi 2, V. Jandric 7, P. Engelbert 10, JP Schembri 6, N. Xuereb 17, M. Vassallo Pulis 6, C. Jones-McCrary 16, M. Matijevic 7, S. Cappello 19.
TIGERS BT: D. Pisani 1, M. Farrugia, A. Attard 5, K. Jordan 34, K. Micaller 8, D. Mitrovic, D. Costantino, A. Varacallo 19.
Referees: Z. Dobrosaviljevic, W. Lim, N. Azzopardi.
STANDINGS
Hibernians 24; Luxol Sherries Estates 21; Starlites JSD 18; Valletta Lions, AtoZ Athleta 17; SiGMA Depiro 15; Tigers BT 14.
