The return to play in 2026 brought little surprise to the Ta’ Qali Pavilion as Starlites Revive and Hibernians continued their stunning season with wins against The Plaza Depiro and Valletta Dream, respectively.
However, Athleta AtoZ made the most of their winter break to come out guns blazing and beat Luxol Sherries Estates at the start of the business end of the campaign.
STARLITES REVIVE 87
THE PLAZA DEPIRO 80
(14-19, 25-23, 23-20, 25-8)
Starlites produced a dominant final-quarter surge to defeat Depiro on Sunday, turning a tight contest into a convincing home win.
The Naxxar side’s success was built on the presence of Musa Jallow and Travis Fee, as the two import players led the minutes on court, together with Jayden Iturmendi and captain Matthew Scerri. All four finished with double-digit points, and all but Scerri had a double-double after collecting 10+ rebounds.
At the other end, Depiro captain Nikola Bozovic led the Mtarfa side, with 22 points, with Cameron Cornelius and Trevon Reddish-Rhone following with 17 and 16, respectively.
American import Felix Uadiale was handed his mid-season debut under Depiro coach Norbert Borg, though his influence was limited during a short spell on court.
Fee opened the scoring, but Depiro quickly seized control through Cornelius, who sparked a sharp early run with a series of fast-break finishes.
Reddish added pace and physicality, allowing Depiro to dictate the rhythm and close the opening quarter ahead 19-14.
Starlites remained within reach through Jallow’s work inside, but it was Depiro who came out the strongest in the opener.
The second quarter marked a shift. Scerri began to find space in the open floor, combining fast-break scores with confident jump shooting to pull Starlites back into contention.
Iturmendi’s three-pointer narrowed the gap further, while Jallow briefly nudged the hosts in front.
A Sean Galea triple brought back the advantage while Bozovic steadied Depiro with composed finishes that restored a 42-39 lead at the break.
After the restart, momentum swung repeatedly.
Depiro threatened to pull clear through Cornelius and Bozovic, but Fee responded with a decisive sequence of second-chance baskets that halted the run.
Iturmendi’s late triple levelled matters at 62-62 heading into the final rubber.
Starlites then took full control in a quarter that saw them concede just eight points to their 25 scored.
Jallow opened with a three-ball before Alec Felice Pace punished turnovers with back-to-back finishes, stretching the lead to 12.
Continued pressure on the break overwhelmed Depiro, and Starlites closed the game emphatically to secure a deserved victory.
STARLITES REVIVE A. Felice Pace 7, T. Fee 19, A. Aquilina 2, I. Felice Pace 2, M. Fabri 2, M. Scerri 17, J. Iturmendi 16, M. Jallow 22.
THE PLAZA DEPIRO S. Galea 8, T. Reddish 16, N. Zivkovic, J. Schembri 6, A. Trapani, C. Cornelius 17, F. Uadiale 1, N. Bozovic 22.
Referees B. Vassallo, Z. Dobrosaviljevic, A. Attard.
ATHLETA ATOZ 76
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES 73
(18-19, 17-21, 22-17, 10-10, 9-6)
Athleta edged Luxol after overtime in a gripping contest that swung repeatedly before being settled in the final seconds.
Athleta were driven by Duane Goodman, whose scoring around the rim, second-chance finishes, and ability to convert turnovers into points proved decisive as he finished the game with 31 points, while Saba Ebelashvili’s contributions and the rest of the team allowed Athleta to withstand sustained Luxol pressure.
The Violets, meanwhile, unveiled three mid-season additions, with Xavier Brewer leading the way offensively as he put up a 39-point, 16-rebound double-double, supported by returning players Darron Howard and Nikola Vasovic, all of whom logged extensive minutes on their debut.
Athleta set the early tone through Goodman, who scored repeatedly in the paint and punished Luxol on the boards to establish an early cushion.
Luxol responded through Stefan Cappello, Stefano Marra, and Brewer, the latter announcing himself with confident finishes in transition and from beyond the arc. Vasovic’s pair of three-pointers swung momentum late on as Brewer’s efforts secured a one-point lead at the first buzzer.
The second quarter developed into a back-and-forth exchange. Brewer took increasing responsibility, scoring through contact and capitalising on turnovers to give Luxol a slim advantage. Howard added his first points on his return, while Vasovic continued to contribute in the half-court. Athleta stayed within reach through Ebelashvili and Juan Garcia Cefai, but Luxol carried a 40-35 lead into half-time.
Athleta emerged sharper after the restart. Isaac Bonett and Marcus Duffy trimmed the deficit before Goodman levelled the game and pushed the Gzira side briefly in front. Luxol answered through Brewer and Cappello, while Howard’s late scores kept the contest as close as ever – 57-57.
Goodman again struck early in the fourth, but Brewer’s shooting and Marra’s second-chance basket dragged Luxol level late on. With everything on the line, neither side looked able to land a decisive blow, and so, the game moved to overtime at 67-67
Overtime was again a close affair but Goodman held his nerve at the line late on to seal a hard-fought victory.
ATHLETA ATOZ M. Duffy 9, S. Ebelashvili 16, R. Bonnici 4, I. Bonett 8, D. Goodman 31, I. Medved, L. Borg 2, J. Cefai 6.
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES D. Howard 9, I. Azzopardi, N. Vasovic 8, J. Johnson 1, X. Brewer 39, S. Cappello 10, S. Marra 6, E. Fenech Pace.
Referees F. Ciurariu, W. Lim, B. Vassallo.
VALLETTA DREAM 42
HIBERNIANS 150
(12-41, 7-38, 6-39, 17-32)
Hibernians delivered a ruthless display to overwhelm Valletta with a 108-point victory, turning the contest into a one-sided affair from the opening minutes.
The Paolites imposed themselves through defensive pressure and transition play, with Deonte Jackson putting up no less than 40 points on the day.
Valletta introduced two new faces, with American import Myles Roper given 23 minutes on debut and Clayton Debono seeing limited action, but the Citizens struggled to find any rhythm against Hibs’ intensity.
The tone was set early as Hibs forced turnovers on successive possessions, converting them into a rapid scoring run led by Jackson and Ayomide Ajiboye. Valletta briefly replied through Albert Varcallo.
But the Paolites’ pace proved overwhelming, with Jackson and Elijah Simmons hitting baskets in transition and Ivan Demcesen punishing defensive mismatches inside the paint as Hibs surged to a commanding 41-12 lead by the end of the first quarter.
The floodgates opened in the second and third periods, with not even the half-time break enough to stop Hibs’ momentum, as the Citizens were held to single-digit scoring in both quarters but suffered close to 40 points in each.
Valletta found moments of resistance through Varcallo and Roper, yet Hibernians continued to capitalise on defensive stops. Jackson and Simmons dominated with Piotr Stelmach and Demcesen making further damage to Valletta’s hopes.
The Capital club managed isolated baskets through Kieron Caruana and Francesco Mifsud Bonnici, but it was a 93-point deficit by the end of the third.
The final quarter became a formality. Hibernians continued to rotate freely but the Citizens kept trying to overcome the difference, unsuccessfully.
VALLETTA DREAM F. Mifsud Bonnici 4, L. Vella, K. Caruana 10, S. Vincic, R. Miles 13, J. Lisondra 7, C. Debono 2, A. Varcallo 4, M. Rieger 2.
HIBERNIANS N. Cassar 8, E. Simmons 19, A. Ajiboye 29, L. Attard 2, L. Farrugia 2, P. Stelmach 11, V. Kustudja 2, M. Gouder 7, D. Jackson 40, M. Attard 10, I. Demcesen 14, S. Simic 6.
Referees G. Barbara, B. Vassallo, J. Siefert.
STANDINGS: Starlites Revive 14; Hibernians 13; The Plaza Depiro 10; Athleta AtoZ 9; Luxol Sherries Estates, Valletta Dream 8.
