Starlites Revive made sure to stay top of the BOV Division One last weekend after beating Hibernians in last week’s top-of-the-table clash, just a few days after playing each other in the Knockout final.
Meanwhile, Athleta pushed themselves into the playoff picture with a win over Valletta Dream as The Plaza Depiro stunned Luxol Sherries Estates to stand their ground in third place further.
STARLITES REVIVE 91
HIBERNIANS 87
(16-19, 20-22, 29-19, 26-27)
Starlites edged Hibernians in their rematch of the Knockout to win a contest driven by runs, resilience and a dominant third-quarter surge.
Jackson Threadgill poured in 33 points to lead the game’s scoring, together with 11 rebounds for a double-double. Musa Jallow added 21, many in the closing minutes, while Travis Fee chipped in 20. Hibernians relied on Deonte Jackson’s 26 points, Ayomide Ajiboye’s 16, and Piotr Stelmach’s 15.
Fee opened the scoring with a freethrow but it was Hibs who made the sharper start. Ajiboye and Jackson converted fastbreaks to build an early cushion. Threadgill and Ian Felice Pace responded inside, and Fee’s three-pointer levelled matters before Stefan Simic and Jackson’s driving scores restored a narrow edge. Stelmach closed the quarter in the paint with a last minute layup as the Paolites led 19-16.
Matthew Attard’s three-ball and numerous Hibs jumpshots stretched the margin to 10 in the first part of the second quarter. Threadgill kept Starlites within reach with a dunk and steady work from the line, while Fee and Alec Felice Pace hit from range. Despite the fightback, Stelmach’s second-chance score ensured Hibs held a 41-36 advantage at the halftime break.
After the change of ends, Hibs’ Neil Cassar reopened the scoring but Fee and Jallow combined for 10 points before Threadgill then took command.
He drilled a three-ball, attacked in transition and scored repeatedly from turnovers during a decisive spell that swung the lead. Miguel Fabri’s late triple lifted Starlites to a five-point lead heading into the fourth.
Attard and Jackson sparked another Hibernians run at the beginning of the final quarter to give them a slender lead, yet Jallow’s flurry of drives and free throws tied the game.
The sides traded blows until Threadgill’s fastbreak layup edged Starlites ahead. Late-game stamina kicked in and Jallow stretched the gap, while Fee’s late layup sealed the outcome despite Stelmach’s final three-pointer.
STARLITES REVIVE A. Felice Pace 5, T. Fee 20, A. Aquilina, I. Felice Pace 4, M. Fabri 3, M. Scerri 3, J. Threadgill 33, K. Xuereb 2, M. Jallow 21.
HIBERNIANS N. Cassar 4, E. Simmons 10, A. Ajiboye 16, L. Farrugia, P. Stelmach 15, D. Jackson 26, M. Attard 12, S. Simic 4.
Referees B. Vassallo, M. De Flavia, W. Lim.
VALLETTA DREAM 77
ATHLETA ATOZ 92
(13-21, 23-22, 14-25, 27-24)
Athleta secured a commanding victory over Valletta after a decisive third-quarter surge that broke the contest open.
The stats reflect Athleta’s control, especially on second chances. Luca Borg led the charge with 25 points, while Orlando Little added 24 and 11 rebounds for a double-double. Marcus Duffy contributed 17 and Isaac Bonett also posted a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds on the day.
For the capital club, Albert Varcallo poured in 26 point, keeping his side afloat with a flurry of three-pointers in the second quarter, and Kieron Caruana added 12 as new boy Nehemiah Watson also finished with 12, adding 12 rebounds for a double as did Stefan Vincic with 10 and 10.
Yet Athleta’s repeated scores from turnovers and their dominance on the boards proved decisive.
Valletta opened through Vincic’s free throws, but Borg quickly swung momentum with two consecutive triples. Duffy and Little attacked the paint as Athleta raced into a double-digit lead. Francesco Mifsud Bonnici, Matteo Rieger and Varcallo responded to trim the gap, though Borg’s late burst ensured Athleta held a 21-13 advantage after one.
Varcallo ignited what looked like Valletta’s revival in the second quarter. He drilled back-to-back triples and scored from the line as the Citizens edged ahead briefly. Caruana added a fast-break finish, yet Duffy and Bonett steadied Athleta. Late second-chance scores and Borg’s transition layup restored control, giving the Gzira side a 43-36 lead at the break.
The third quarter proved decisive for Athleta. Little opened with five straight points before Caruana and Mifsud Bonnici brought it back down to five.
However, Saba Ebelashvili’s triple sparked an Athleta surge that pushed the margin up to 20 points with two minutes left in the rubber. Both sides struggled in the final run of the clock as a Watson score left it at 68-50 heading into the final quarter.
The fourth was possibly the best showcase for the two teams with players battling for each possession. The margin was tough for Valletta to eliminate but Vincic, Varcallo, and Caruana all stepped up to bring the deficit down to 12 points midway through the rubber. In spite of this, three-balls from Little and Borg continued to push the Citizens back.
With the gap 17 with half a minute to go in the game, Varcallo’s late consolation layup could not stop Athleta from bagging the win.
VALLETTA DREAM F. Mifsud Bonnici 5, K. Caruana 12, N. Watson 12, S. Vincic 10, J. Lisondra 3, P. Marotta 4, A. Varcallo 26, M. Rieger 5.
ATHLETA ATOZ K. Fabri, M. Duffy 17, S. Ebelashvili 10, R. Vitale 3, I. Bonett 13, L. Borg 25, O. Little 24, M. Farrugia.
Referees F. Ciurariu, A. Attard, L. Silvero.
THE PLAZA DEPIRO 78
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES 70
(29-20, 22-18, 13-11, 14-21)
Earlier, Depiro claimed an important win over Luxol in their return to Division One play after surviving a late rally.
Coach Norbert Borg-led Depiro’s edge came from authority on second chances. Felix Uadiale and Tyler Reddish combined for 42 points, both putting up 20+ points and 17 rebounds. Cameron Cornelius added 13, steady from the line for a five-of-seven freethrow finish. Luxol, led by coach Duncan Fenech, leaned heavily on Darron Howard’s 23 points, as Xavier Brewer contributed 15 and Jayden Johnson rounded up the double digit scoring with 11.
Depiro struck first through Luca Stefanovic’s three-pointer, and Cornelius ignited an early run in between a Stefan Cappello freethrow. Howard attacked the rim to keep Luxol within reach, and hit from deep together with Isaac Azzopardi, but Reddish’s second-chance finishes, Michael Debattista’s triple, and Cornelius’ free throws pushed Depiro to a 29-20 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Johnson sparked Luxol early in the second, trimming the gap, though Uadiale’s interior presence and Reddish’s relentless cuts triggered a decisive run. A fast-break dunk from Uadiale and successive scores in the paint stretched the margin beyond 10. Howard and Brewer responded in spells, yet Depiro’s accuracy ensured a 51-38 advantage at halftime.
Brewer led Luxol’s push after the restart, converting turnovers during a brief rally. Stefanovic and Uadiale steadied Depiro before Reddish produced a powerful burst, capped by a dunk that lifted the score to 63-48. Depiro carried a 15-point lead into the final quarter.
Uadiale opened the fourth with authority, but Howard’s three-ball and Brewer’s late triple reduced the deficit to five. However, composed free-throw shooting from Cornelius and Sean Galea closed out the contest and secured the result.
THE PLAZA DEPIRO S. Galea 9, T. Reddish 22, L. Stefanovic 7, JP Schembri 2, S. Kenely, C. Cornelius 13, F. Uadiale 20, M. Debattista 5.
LUXOL SHERRIES ESTATES D. Howard 23, A. Azzopardi 9, I. Azzopardi, N. Vasovic 1, N. Xuereb, J. Johnson 11, M. Brincat 5, M. Iloube 3, X. Brewer 15, S. Cappello 3, S. Marra.
Referees Z. Dobrosaviljevic, L. Silvero, B. Vassallo.
STANDINGS
Starlites Revive 20; Hibernians 18; The Plaza Depiro 15; Athleta AtoZ 13; Luxol Sherries Estates 12; Valletta Dream 11.
