After a weekend off from league action due to the first MBA 3×3 stop, BOV Division One teams returned to five-player action at the Ta’ Qali Pavilion for another round of fixtures.
Starlites Revive were the biggest winners of the afternoon with a 41-point victory over Valletta Dream, as The Plaza Depiro overcame Athleta AtoZ, and Hibernians showed their mettle against Luxol Sherries Estates with a solid win.
VALLETTA DREAM 80
STARLITES REVIVE 121
(20-35, 22-37, 14-27, 24-22)
Starlites delivered a commanding performance, built on sharp perimeter shooting and defensive pressure, while the Citizens relied heavily on the prolific scoring of Eugene Campbell and Tyler Murray to remain competitive for stretches.
Statistically, Campbell stood out with a 38 points,10 rebounds double-double while Murray followed with another 10 rebounds and 25 points.
However, Starlites showed more balance, as Jackson Threadgill and Miguel Fabri led with 24 points.
Musa Jallow followed with 23 points, a 13-rebound double-double, and Jayden Iturmendi rounded up the double-digit scorers with 17 points and another 11 rebounds.
The Naxxar side opened through Alec Felice Pace, whose early burst produced two fast-break finishes and a free throw.
Campbell replied from the line before Murray levelled with a clean three-pointer.
Travis Fee struck back from deep and Starlites continued pressing, with Threadgill, Fabri and Jallow scoring in transition.
Campbell and Murray offered replies, yet Starlites’ shooting streak from Fabri and Matthew Scerri created a double-digit margin.
Late efforts from Murray narrowed the damage, though Starlites closed the first quarter ahead 35-20.
The pace remained high as Iturmendi and Fabri extended Starlites’ advantage in the second rubber.
Campbell kept Valletta moving with Stefan Vincic adding a further four points.
Threadgill and Jallow hit consecutive shots before a Scerri triple as Iturmendi raised the gap to 32 points with 2.27 to go in the quarter.
Jhun Jhun Lisondra hit twice from the line before layups from Kieron Murray and Caruana, but Starlites reached half-time firmly in control at 72-42.
Campbell opened the third quarter with a layup from an early fastbreak, but Iturmendi responded instantly.
Felice Pace and Jallow resumed Starlites’ prowess with Threadgill pushing further with 10 more points as Paul Ferrante’s clan entered the final period 99-56 ahead.
Although Campbell struck early and often in the closing rubber, adding a series of composed finishes, Starlites remained in charge.
Valletta continued to compete through Murray’s energetic drives, yet Starlites closed out confidently to complete a dominant display.
VALLETTA DREAM N. Grech 2, F. Mifsud Bonnici 5, K. Caruana 4, E. Campbell 38, S. Vincic 4, T. Murray 25, F. Lisondra 2, C. Penaloza, M. Rieger.
STARLITES REVIVE A. Felice Pace 9, K. Fabri 3, T. Fee 9, A. Aquilina 0, G. Camilleri, Z. Said Hollier 3, M. Scerri 9, J. Iturmendi 17, J. Threadgill 24, M. Jallow 23, M. Fabri 24.
Referees: G. Barbara, J. Siefert, A. Attard.
ATHLETA ATOZ 71
THE PLAZA DEPIRO 84
(19-16, 20-19, 13-26, 19-23)
Athleta and Depiro produced an energetic contest with Depiro’s balanced offence proving decisive as the game progressed.
Athleta began well through Isaac Bonett, Duane Goodman and Robert Vitale, in between a Sean Galea triple.
Depiro, however, enjoyed broader scoring options.
Cameron Cornelius controlled much of their inside play, but it was Athleta’s Marcus Duffy and Wesley Jordan who pushed hardest late in the quarter as they overcame the gap to edge ahead 19-16 at the end of the opening run.
Cornelius resumed confidently after the break, yet Goodman steadied Athleta, and Ivan Medved added a clean three-pointer.
Galea responded from deep, Reddish-Rhone added free throws, and Jordan connected from long range to restore balance. #
Cornelius continued to find space inside, and although Goodman provided another timely three-pointer, Depiro stayed close, trimming Athleta’s lead to 39-35 by half-time.
Vitale and Jordan opened the third quarter brightly, but Depiro’s perimeter shooting soon shifted the rhythm. Galea and Nikola Bozovic converted from beyond the arc before Cornelius imposed himself in transition, scoring twice and adding a free throw to overturn the deficit.
Reddish-Rhone and Bozovic extended the run as the Mtarfa side moved ahead, with Galea striking once more to send his side into the final quarter up 61-52.
Athleta attempted to rally through Vitale and Saba Ebelashvili, yet Galea intervened again from long range. Cornelius, remaining influential, added free throws, mid-range efforts and a well-timed three-pointer as Depiro widened the margin.
Schembri’s accuracy from deep strengthened their position further. Goodman and Bonett replied with late drives, but Reddish-Rhone and Cornelius maintained control to secure a composed finish for Depiro.
ATHLETA ATOZ M. Duffy 5, S. Ebelashvili 3, R. Vitale 13, I. Bonett 9, D. Goodman 17, I. Medved 3, L. Borg, W. Jordan 21, J. Cefai.
THE PLAZA DEPIRO S. Galea 19, T. Reddish-Rhone 14, L. Stefanovic 3, J. P. Schembri 9, A. Trapani, M. Grubacic 3, C. Cornelius 30, N. Bozovic 6.
Referees Z. Dobrosaviljevic, F. Ciurariu, L. Silvera.
HIBERNIANS 89
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES 64
(22-12, 24-23, 24-17, 19-12)
Hibernians produced one of their most complete performances of the season, controlling the tempo from the opening minutes and sustaining pressure from a persistent Luxol side that worked hard to keep pace, with Burke Smith leading their offence.
But the collective efficiency of Piotr Stelmach, Neil Cassar and October’s player of the month Ayomide Ajiboye allowed the Paolites to maintain rhythm throughout.
Cassar opened the game with a fast-break layup before Smith answered at the line, though Deonte Johnson briefly swung momentum with a three-pointer.
Hibernians settled through Ivan Demcesen and Stelmach, whose composed finishes widened the gap. Ajiboye added a transition layup, and despite replies from MBA Player of the the Year Nathan Xuereb and Stefan Cappello, Hibernians controlled the pace.
Jackson and Matthew Attard struck in transition before Cassar and Elijah Simmons helped close a dominant opening spell at 22-12.
Smith attempted to lift the Violets early in the next rubber, but Demcesen’s efficient mid-range shooting and Jackson’s three-pointer pushed Hibs further ahead. Cassar and Stelmach added assured scoring, though Smith reduced the gap with composed work inside.
Miguel Brincat struck from deep, but Stelmach’s perimeter accuracy restored breathing room. Ajiboye powered home a dunk, and Stelmach added another three as Hibs kept their momentum, entering the halftime break firmly in control at 46-35.
Dom Tomasi and Smith tried to bring Luxol back into the contest, yet Attard and Jackson replied calmly. Demcesen continued to find space and Simmons added a clean three-ball. Cassar, Ajiboye and Simmons extended the margin as the Paolites closed the third quarter up 70–52.
Coach Christian Narciso’s clan maintained full control in the final stretch.
Stelmach added a tip-in and Stefan Simic struck from deep, with Ajiboye scoring freely in transition. Luxol continued to compete through Smith’s inside finishing, yet Hibs closed out confidently through Attard and Ajiboye to take the win.
HIBERNIANS N. Cassar 13, E. Simmons 12, A. Ajiboye 12, L. Attard, P. Stelmach 15, V. Kustudja, D. Jackson 9, M. Attard 9, T. Gjurovski, I. Demcesen 16, S. Simic 3.
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES A. Azzopardi, I. Azzopardi 2, C. James, N. Xuereb 3, J. Johnson 10, M. Brincat 5, D. Tomasi 8, B. Smith 31, S. Cappello 5, S. Marra.
STANDINGS
Starlites Revive, Hibernians 6; The Plaza Depiro 5; Luxol Sherries Estates 4; Valletta Dream, Athleta AtoZ 3.
