Luxol Sherries Estates’ remarkable second-half comeback against Starlites JSD was the highlight of the round as the BOV Division One returned for another weekend.
SiGMA Depiro strengthened their play-off hopes with a commanding win over AtoZ Athleta while Valletta Lions capped off the weekend with a statement victory against Tigers BT.
STARLITES JSD 69
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES 75
(23-13, 20-18, 12-20, 14-24)
Starlites began the game with high energy, spearheaded by Trevon Reddish-Rhone’s fast-break layups and Ian Felice Pace’s timely three-pointer.
Max Curran added a tip-in to extend their lead to 23-13 at the end of the first quarter.
Luxol struggled to find their rhythm early but remained within reach thanks to Caleb Jones-McCrary’s second-chance points.
In the second quarter, the Malta champions continued to control the tempo.
Reddish-Rhone’s fadeaway jumper and Curran’s inside scoring maintained their edge. Darron Howard’s three-pointer and Nikola Xuereb’s defensive efforts helped the Violets stay competitive, but Starlites led 43-31 at half-time.
Duncan Fenech’s Luxol began their comeback in the third quarter, with Jones-McCrary dominating the paint and Vukasin Jandric sinking critical free throws.
Paul Ferrante’s Starlites struggled offensively, allowing Luxol to trim the lead to 55-51 by the end of the quarter.
The fourth quarter saw the Violets take control.
Jandric’s three-pointer gave them their first lead, and Xuereb’s fast-break layup extended it.
Despite Reddish-Rhone’s 26-point performance, Luxol’s defensive stops and balanced attack secured the win, bringing them within a point of league leaders Hibernians.
STARLITES JSD: M. Curran 8, A. Aquilina 2, K. Fabri 3, I. Felice Pace 7, M. Fabri, M. Scerri 4, C. Paul 9, L. Farrugia, K. Xuereb 10, T. Reddish-Rhone 26.
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES: D. Howard 18, A. Azzopardi 10, V. Jandric 19, JP Schembri, N. Xuereb 9, N. Bukva 4, C. Jones-McCrary 15, M. Matijevic, S. Cappello.
Referees: G. Barbara, Z. Dobrosaviljevic, M. De Flavia.
SIGMA DEPIRO 106
ATOZ ATHLETA 96
(32-30, 28-24, 31-16, 15-26)
With the final playoff spot on the line as the clubs’ head into the business end of the regular season, Depiro’s clash with Athleta went the Mtarfa side’s way on Sunday.
The game opened with both teams trading baskets.
David Bugeja’s drives to the basket and Brandon Porter’s putbacks gave Depiro an early edge.
Kurt James and Caleb Matthews responded for Athleta, keeping the score close at 25-23 in Depiro’s favour by the first break.
In the second quarter, Nikola Bozovic’s dominance in the paint and Porter’s energy widened Depiro’s advantage. Matthews’ three-pointer and James’ inside scoring kept Sandro Farrugia’s side in contention, but Depiro led 52-45 at halftime.
The third quarter saw Sasa Dimitrijevic’s Depiro extend their advantage. Bozovic’s second-chance points and Porter’s highlight-reel dunk ignited the bench.
Despite James’ efforts to close the gap, Depiro’s Bugeja orchestrated the offence effectively, ending the quarter with a 79-65 lead.
Athleta tried to rally in the final quarter, with Matthews hitting from beyond the arc and James battling inside.
However, Depiro’s balanced scoring and defensive resilience secured the victory at the final buzzer, strengthening their playoff hopes.
SIGMA DEPIRO: S. Galea 2, D. Bugeja 18, N. Bozovic 24, L. Stefanovic 9, A. Trapani, D. Tomasi 14, B. Porter 28, M. Brincat, C. Cornelius 11, M. Debattista.
ATOZ ATHLETA: R. Vitale 4, C. Matthews 24, I. Xuereb 5, K. James 40, A. Bozanic 1, L. Borg 6, J. Cefai Garcia 6, M. Amoafo 10, G. Cassar.
Referees: B. Vassallo, N. Azzopardi, Z. Dobrosaviljevic.
TIGERS BT 70
VALLETTA LIONS 104
(20-24, 21-24, 15-35, 17-21)
Valletta set the tone early in their game against Tigers BT, with Nicholas Grech’s opening basket and Nikola Vasovic’s sharp shooting establishing a quick lead.
Kendall Jordan’s three-pointer and Sassoun Saakian’s free throw kept the Tigers in the game, but Albert Varacallo’s three-point barrage gave Valletta a 24-20 edge after the first quarter.
The second quarter saw Tigers briefly surge, with Darko Mitrovic’s inside scoring tying the game at 26-26.
Piotr Stelmach’s turnovers turned into fast-break points for Valletta, while Varacallo’s continued accuracy from deep ensured a 48-41 half-time lead.
In the third quarter, Valletta took full control.
Myles Carter’s versatile scoring and Vasovic’s relentless attack extended the lead to double digits.
Despite Jordan’s fadeaway jumpers and efforts in the paint, Valletta dominated the transition game, leading 81-56 heading into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter saw Valletta close out the game in style.
Varacallo’s three-pointers and Jonathan Camilleri’s contributions off the bench highlighted their depth.
Jordan’s 22-point performance for Tigers stood out, but Valletta took the comprehensive victory.
TIGERS BT: D. Pisani 2, A. Attard 5, K. Jordan 22, D. Mitrovic 5, D. Costantino, M. Baldacchino, A. Varacallo 33, S. Saakian 6.
VALLETTA LIONS: N. Grech 9, F. Mifsud Bonnici 6, N. Da Silva 8, M. Carter 26, P. Stelmach 17, S. Hamparsoumian 6, D. Schembri, J. Camilleri 2, N. Vasovic 18, S. Vincic 2, E. Terry 10.
Referees: B. Vassallo, M. De Flavia, W. Lim.
STANDINGS: Hibernians 24; Luxol Sherries Estates 23; Starlites JSD, Valletta Lions 19; AtoZ Athleta 18; SiGMA Depiro 17; Tigers BT 15.
