The BOV Division One returned after a weekend of Knockout basketball but there were no surprises as top three sides Hibernians, Luxol Sherries Estates and Starlites JSD all bagged victories to cement their places in this season’s playoffs.
VALLETTA LIONS 64
STARLITES JSD 78
(15-22, 19-25, 17-14, 13-17)
Starlites extended their winning streak with a commanding victory over Valletta on Monday.
Ian Felice Pace opened the scoring for the Malta champions, but Nikola Vasovic responded with a jump shot for Valletta. Starlites quickly took control as Max Curran and Matthew Scerri capitalised on turnovers before Curran added a three-pointer to extend the lead.
Vasovic halted the run, but Curran’s accuracy at the line kept Starlites ahead. Piotr Stelmach provided a lift for Valletta with a three-pointer, yet Scerri and Felice Pace ensured Starlites maintained their advantage. Serge Hamparsoumian finished on the break, and Stelmach struck again from deep, but Starlites held firm to lead 22-15 after the first quarter.
Stelmach opened the second quarter with another three-pointer, cutting Valletta’s deficit to four. Hamparsoumian’s free throws kept the pressure on, but Curran and Kurt Xuereb responded, pushing Starlites’ lead back to ten.
Vasovic struck from deep, and Stelmach followed up with another three-pointer, pulling Valletta within two. However, Starlites remained composed, with Felice Pace and Scerri hitting from beyond the arc before Chris Paul pushed their lead to 47-34 at halftime.
Starlites extended their advantage early in the third, surging ahead by 17. Valletta looked for a response as Hamparsoumian and Stelmach scored in transition, but Trevon Reddish-Rhone and Xuereb kept Starlites in control.
Francesco Mifsud Bonnici hit a three-pointer to keep Valletta in touch, yet Reddish-Rhone and Scerri restored a double-digit cushion. Despite Vasovic and Hamparsoumian trimming the deficit to ten, Starlites remained composed, leading 61-51 entering the final quarter.
Fabri and Reddish-Rhone extended the gap further before Xuereb’s fast-break basket put Valletta in serious trouble.
With the lead growing to 24, Hamparsoumian fought on, but Starlites had full control. Aquilina added a three-pointer, and though Vasovic and Vincic struck from deep, Valletta could not mount a comeback as Starlites secured another dominant win.
VALLETTA LIONS: N. Grech, F. Mifsud 9, N. Da Silva, P. Stelmach 19, S. Hamparsoumian 15, N. Vasovic 15, S. Vincic 6, E. Terry.
STARLITES JSD: M. Curran 13, S. Aquilina, A. Aquilina 6, K. Fabri 8, I. Felice 15, M. Fabri 3, M. Scerri 12, C. Paul 4, K. Xuereb 7, N. Sultana, T. Reddish-Rhone 10.
Referees: B. Vassallo, N. Azzopardi, M. De Flavia.
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES 80
SIGMA DEPIRO 77
(22-9, 11-18, 17-22, 17-18, 13-10)
Luxol needed overtime to secure victory over Depiro, keeping hold of second place in the standings.
The Violets dominated early, as Vukasin Jandric’s jump shot and Nathan Xuereb’s three-pointer set the tone. Caleb Jones-McCrary added back-to-back layups, while Darron Howard extended the lead.
Depiro struggled offensively, with Nikola Bozovic and Brandon Porter scoring from the line before Porter’s putback offered some relief. Howard’s three-pointer and free throws ensured Luxol closed the first quarter ahead 22-9.
Howard remained relentless at the line, pushing Luxol’s advantage to 15. Cameron Cornelius responded with consecutive layups, but Xuereb’s fast-break finish kept Luxol in control.
Porter sparked Depiro’s fightback with a fadeaway jumper and a three-pointer, cutting the gap to eight. Depiro capitalised on turnovers as Bozovic and Porter led a fast-break surge.
A Nenad Bukva floater momentarily steadied Luxol, but Porter’s free throws reduced the deficit to six at halftime, with Luxol leading 33-27.
Jandric hit a jumper to start the third, but Miguel Brincat answered with a three-pointer. Howard and Jandric restored Luxol’s double-digit cushion, but Depiro found rhythm as Porter, David Bugeja, and Cornelius chipped away.
Porter’s layup and free throw brought Depiro within one, but Jones-McCrary responded in transition. As momentum shifted, Bugeja’s three-pointer and Porter’s jumper made it 50-49 heading into the final period.
Bukva’s three-pointer gave Luxol breathing room, but Porter answered immediately from deep. Porter’s dunk levelled the game before Bozovic and Cornelius put Depiro ahead.
Howard reignited Luxol with a pull-up jumper and a driving layup. Xuereb’s three-pointer added hope before Howard struck again with a crucial three-pointer, but Porter forced overtime with a last-second layup, tying the game at 67.
In overtime, Luxol remained composed. Howard delivered key baskets, while Jones-McCrary and Jandric added crucial points. Depiro’s offence faded in the extra period, and despite Porter’s efforts, Luxol held firm to claim a hard-fought win.
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES: D. Howard 34, A. Azzopardi, V. Jandric 21, JP Schembri, N. Xuereb 10, N. Bukva 5, C. Jones-Mccrary 10, S. Cappello, N. Djakovic.
SIGMA DEPIRO: S. Galea, D. Bugeja 16, N. Bozovic 10, L. Stefanovic 2, D. Tomasi, B. Porter 29, M. Brincat 5, C. Cornelius 15, M. Debattista.
Referees: Z. Dobrosaviljevic, F. Ciurariu, B. Vassallo.
ATOZ ATHLETA 67
HIBERNIANS 80
(18-14, 23-18, 11-29, 15-19)
Hibernians wrapped up a long weekend of games with another victory against Athleta on Tuesday, despite resting key players Ivan Demcesen, Tedrick Wolfe, and Derek Brown.
Neil Cassar opened the scoring with a tip-in, followed by Matthew Gouder’s reverse layup. Athleta, missing Kurt James, replied through Gabriel Cassar, while Anton Axiaq’s second-chance points kept Hibernians ahead. Maxwell Amoafo’s fast-break layup cut the deficit, but Cassar responded from deep.
Luca Borg and Amoafo levelled the game before Paul Attard’s three-pointer pushed Hibernians ahead. Athleta, however, gained momentum as Andrej Bozanic and Caleb Matthews struck in transition, taking an 18-14 first-quarter lead.
Athleta extended their lead through Amoafo and Borg, with Robert Vitale adding a three-pointer. Hibernians stayed in touch with Miguel Mallia and Stefan Simic scoring inside, but an Amoafo dunk and Borg’s three-pointer gave Athleta a 41-32 halftime advantage.
Hibernians fought back in the third, with Cassar and Matthew Attard cutting the deficit before Axiaq tied the game at 45-45. Gouder’s basket put Hibernians ahead, and transition play saw them lead 61-52 entering the final quarter.
Cassar extended the lead with a layup and a dunk, while Farrugia and Axiaq added transition scores as Hibernians pulled away. Matthews hit back for Athleta with a three-pointer and fast-break layup, but Vido Kustudja and Attard ensured the win. Despite late baskets from Amoafo and Matthews, Hibernians secured victory, keeping their place at the top of the standings.
ATOZ ATHLETA: K. Fabri, R. Vitale 7, A. Garzia, C. Matthews 16, E. Abela, M. Spiteri 5, A. Bozanic 4, L. Borg 14, J. Cefai Garcia 3, M. Amoafo 13, G. Cassar 5.
HIBERNIANS: N. Cassar 19, P. Attard 5, L. Attard, L. Farrugia 7, V. Kustudja 3, A. Axiaq 11, M. Gouder 8, M. Attard 10, T. Gjurovski, M. Mallia 10, S. Simic 7.
Referees: Z. Dobrosaviljevic, M. De Flavia, F. Ciuariu.
STANDINGS
Hibernians 32; Luxol Sherries Estates 29; Starlites JSD 28; Valletta Lions 25; SiGMA Depiro 24; AtoZ Athleta 22; Tigers BT 17.
