Starlites and Betsson Depiro bagged crucial victories in this season’s Women’s Knockout semifinals to set up an interesting finale to the cup competition.
Holders Depiro will be hoping to retain the title with victory after brushing aside closest challengers Caffe Moak Luxol while Starlites’ resurgence continues as the Naxxar side cruised past Valletta Lionesses.
STARLITES 95
VALLETTA LIONESSES 45
(22-9, 25-10, 19-9, 29-17)
Starlites overcame Valletta in dominant fashion as they took immediate control against Valletta – missing import player Olesia Malashenko – and never looked back, leading from start to finish in their clash.
Sasha Lecuyer set the tone early with a three-pointer, quickly followed by Makaila Napoleon’s strong presence under the basket.
The Citizens briefly stayed close through Adriana Caballero’s driving layups, but Starlites quickly shifted gears.
A decisive scoring run led by Lecuyer, Catherine Cilia, and Mariah Fenech opened a commanding 22-9 lead by the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was equally one-sided.
Napoleon asserted her dominance in the paint, scoring consistently on second-chance opportunities.
Valletta struggled to cope with Starlites’ aggressive defence, repeatedly turning the ball over.
Michela Zammit Cordina’s timely triple and further points from Mikela Riolo and Cilia pushed the lead beyond 20 points.
Valletta’s Aleksandra Nikishina managed to break the scoring drought briefly, but Starlites maintained relentless pressure, closing the half comfortably ahead, 47-19.
After the break, Peter Shoults’ Starlites continued their relentless offensive display.
Lecuyer’s outside shooting and Ylenia Bonett’s precise finishing rapidly extended the lead past 30 points.
Valletta’s offence remained quiet aside from occasional contributions by Caballero and Taisiia Nikishina.
Yet, Starlites’ pressure forced continuous turnovers, converted into easy fast-break points by Bonett, Lecuyer, and Ylenia Ferrando.
By the end of the third quarter, the gap widened dramatically to 66-28.
In the fourth quarter, Caballero sparked Valletta with a series of baskets, including a three-pointer, but Starlites’ supremacy was undeniable.
Napoleon took complete control, reaching an impressive double-double with her rebounding and efficient scoring.
Her versatility was evident with a late three-pointer, complementing her dominant play inside. Zammit Cordina added several fast-break points, and Lecuyer continued her solid performance, pushing the lead beyond forty points.
Starlites concluded the game emphatically, with Adriana Lupo and Zammit Cordina putting the finishing touches on a resounding victory, sealing their spot in the final.
STARLITES: S. Lecuyer 14, M. Riolo 9, C. Cilia 7, P. Riolo 2, M. Zammit Cordina 9, C. Vella 4, A. Lupo 2, M. Napoleon 27, Y. Bonett 10, M. Fenech 3, Y. Ferrando 6, C. Curmi 2.
VALLETTA LIONESSES: A. Parnis 2, S. Abugrin 3, N. Caruana 3, A. Caballero 15, M. Mifsud 2, A. Nikishina 10, H. Grixti 2, T. Nikishina 8.
Referees: F. Ciurariu, N. Azzopardi.
CAFFE MOAK LUXOL 58
BETSSON DEPIRO 64
(15-22, 13-11, 17-17, 13-14)
The second semi-final clash brought together the current top two seeds in the MAPFRE MSV Life Women’s League, and it was the leaders who booked their spot in the final.
Just seconds into the encounter, Depiro import Janai Crooms put her name on the scoresheet with a close-range effort, the first two points of an eventual game-high 27.
Luxol replied with a strong drive by Anna Fenech Pace before Josephine Diaby put the Violets in the lead.
Early defence from Luxol kept the Mtarfa side away and a Brandy Huffhines three-pointer set them apart by five, four minutes into the clash. However, scores from Crooms, Claire Ciantar and eventually Kristy Galea brought the game to par with American import Crooms changing the lead with a pair of freethrows.
A Julia Borg triple then stunned the Violets as the Depiro players began to take over, leading 22-15 at the end of the first quarter.
Luxol’s Fenech Pace opened the second quarter with an and-one as the Violets’ fightback began. Depiro’s Ciantar put the ball in to make it a six-point cushion and another Borg triple increased it to nine.
But despite their speedy transition, Depiro began to struggle to finish their plays. Luxol battled back to five points behind to finish the half 33-28.
After the change of ends, a Galea trey reopened proceedings with Crooms making it a double-digit margin from mid-range. Huffhines reversed that almost instantly with a jumpshot as the third quarter appeared to show the balance in both sides’ talent.
Luxol brought the game as close as two-points away midway through the rubber but fluctuations in the margin were rapid with both sides separated at 50-45 ahead of the final quarter.
The fourth rubber saw Luxol’s Sarah Pace kickstart the scoring and Lisa Fenech Pace making it a one-point game early on.
Pace gave the Violets the lead three minutes into quarter as hope began to grow for Roderick Vella’s side but Ciantar put Depiro back ahead.
A 7-0 run reopened a buffer for Julian Naudi’s Depiro and despite a late Luxol surge, the league leaders held on to secure their spot in the competition’s deciding game.
CAFFE MOAK LUXOL: G. Carabott, S. Pace 4, L. Fenech Pace, S. Fenech Pace 6, J. Diaby 18, B. Huffhines 22, A. Fenech Pace 8.
BETSSON DEPIRO: N. Agius, J. Borg Xerri 3, L. Sciberras, C. Ciantar 6, J. Borg 11, N. Borg, K. Galea 11, J. Borg Cardona 6, J. Crooms 27.
Referee: M. De Flavia, Z. Dobrosaviljevic.
PLAYING ON SUNDAY
Starlites vs Betsson Depiro 13:30
