The BOV Men’s Knockout returned to the Ta’ Pavilion on Sunday. Hibernians and Starlites Revive made sure to avoid any surprises as they powered past The Plaza Depiro and Luxol Sherries Estates for deserved victories.
THE PLAZA DEPIRO 71
HIBERNIANS 93
(17-28, 20-21, 25-20, 9-24)
Hibernians booked their place in the final with a commanding victory over Depiro, pulling clear in the final stretch after a competitive three quarters.
Hibs’ superiority was reflected in the double-digit scoring numbers, with Deonte Jackson the standout performer, leading all scorers with 27 points on a 62.5% field goal percentage.
Elijah Simmons followed with 19 points, and Ayomide Ajiboye secured a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Depiro relied heavily on perimeter shooting, with Cameron Cornelius and Luca Stefanovic sharing the scoring load with 15 points each.
The Paolites set the early tone with an Ivan Demcesen score before Ajiboye hit his first points of the afternoon with a jumpshot.
Hibs looked the stronger side but Stefanovic hit no less than four three-pointers to keep Depiro in the contest. Late baskets from JP Schembri and Cornelius steadied Depiro, but Hibernians closed the opening quarter firmly ahead at 28-17.
Depiro attempted to push back early in the second rubber through Nikola Bozovic and Cornelius, yet the Paolites repeatedly stopped any run.
Ajiboye and Matthew Attard retained Hibs’ double-digit lead and numerous free throws kept them in command as Trevon Reddish-Rhone and Felix Udiale attacked. Late layups on either side of the court kept the game exciting, but it was Hibs who led 49-37 at halftime.
The third quarter marked Depiro’s strongest spell. Reddish ignited a rally in transition, while Cornelius, Sean Galea and Schembri’s shooting brought the margin down to two possessions. Galea’s drives and perimeter efforts narrowed the gap further, and when Cornelius converted inside, belief returned to the Depiro bench as the gap became just two points. Jackson, however, halted the surge with composed finishes, before Simic closed the quarter to restore Hibs’ cushion to seven points.
Depiro’s spark faded as teams returned to the court for the final quarter with the Mtarfa side going from their best quarter to their poorest run. Udiale contributed five points but it was Hibs with non-stop scoring with Demcesen, Jackson and Ajiboye hitting from all angles. Cornelius hit from deep to try and start a late comeback attempt but Hibs went on a 8-0 run to close out a commanding victory.
THE PLAZA DEPIRO S. Galea 9, T. Reddish 10, L. Stefanovic 15, JP Schembri 5, A. Trapani, C. Cornelius 15, F. Uadiale 12, M. Debattista, N. Bozovic 5.
HIBERNIANS N. Cassar 2, E. Simmons 19, A. Ajiboye 15, L. Farrugia, P. Stelmach 8, M. Gouder 3, D. Jackson 27, M. Attard 6, I. Demcesen 9, S. Simic 4.
Referees B. Vassallo, N. Rincon, A. Attard.
STARLITES REVIVE 108
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES 95
(25-19, 31-32, 30-14, 22-30)
Starlites powered their way into the final with an emphatic win over Luxol, asserting control early and never losing sight of victory throughout.
Luxol’s Darron Howard led the game’s scoring with 31 points but it was a team effort which provided Starlites’ dominance. Jackson Threadgill hit 25 points, while Travis Fee added 15, while Matthew Scerri and Jayden Iturmendi both contributed 13 points.
At the other end, Xavier Brewer finished with a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double and Stefan Cappello followed with 16 points.
Starlites set the early tempo through Musa Jallow, who opened the scoring from the line before converting a fast-break layup to spark an immediate burst.
Luxol responded through Cappello’s work in the paint, but Starlites repeatedly struck back. Iturmendi’s activity around the rim and late baskets from Threadgill gave Starlites momentum, capped by Fee’s late three-ball to close the first quarter with Starlites leading 25–19.
That control tightened in the second rubber as the Naxxar side pushed the pace. Fee, Jallow, and Threadgill combined to stretch the lead into double digits, capitalising on Luxol turnovers and second chances.
The Violets briefly steadied themselves through Brewer, Cappello, and Miguel Brincat’s shooting before two Nick Vasovic’s long-distance efforts, but every response was met by another Starlites score. Scerri’s inside work and further fast-break points ensured Starlites went into the halftime break holding a close 56-51 advantage.
The third quarter was Starlites’ shining moment.
Threadgill’s early triple reignited Starlites, and from there the game tilted sharply.
Jallow dominated in transition, Scerri punished Luxol from the deep, and Ian Felice Pace repeatedly finished strong drives. Luxol continued to find points through Howard and Jayden Johnson as Brincat hit another triple, but defensive breakdowns allowed Starlites to pull clear.
A late Iturmendi finish pushed the margin beyond 20, with Starlites leading 86-65 at the end of the quarter.
A tense final rubber was in store at the Ta’ Qali Pavilion as Luxol tried to overcome a tough 21-point deficit.
Things got even harder when Miguel Fabri opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer. Howard carried the Luxol offense after some initial points from Brewer and Cappello as the American import amassed half of his total points in this quarter.
Starlites, however, remained composed, spreading the scoring and exploiting space in the paint. Jallow and Iturmendi added late baskets as the margin remained comfortable, and Starlites closed out a convincing victory, leading at every break to book their place in the final.
STARLITES REVIVE A. Felice Pace 4, K. Fabri, T. Fee 15, A. Aquilina 2, I. Felice Pace 7, M. Fabri 9, M. Scerri 13, J. Iturmendi 13, J. Threadgill 25, M. Jallow 20.
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES D. Howard 31, A. Azzopardi 6, I. Azzopardi 2, N. Vasovic 8, J. Johnson 9, M. Brincat 6, X. Brewer 17, S. Cappello 16.
Referees Z. Dobrosaviljevic, M. De Flavia, F. Ciurariu.
