Hibernians bounced back from their previous defeat to Starlites Revive with a stunning performance against Athleta at the Ta’ Qali Pavilion.
Betsson Depiro stunned Caffe Moak Luxol on Saturday as Starlites brushed aside Valletta Dream later on in the day.
ATHLETA 58
HIBERNIANS 101
(10-23, 16-25, 14-30, 18-23)
Hibernians delivered a dominant performance to secure a convincing victory over Athleta on Sunday.
The numbers reflected the control Hibs maintained throughout the contest. Hailey McLeod led the charge with a 37-points display, adding 12 rebounds for a double-double.
Steffi De Martino followed with 31 points and yet another double-digit assist finish after dishing out 10 dimes.
Josephine Diaby was Hibs’ third double-double finisher on the day with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, Macy Tyler Smith was once again in great form to lead her side despite the defeat, finishing with 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Hibernians set the tone from the opening minutes with a sharp scoring run built on a trademark De Martino three-pointer and four straight points from Diaby.
The latter hit twice more to open a double-digit margin midway through the first quarter, before Athleta had even scored their first basket from open play.
With two minutes left for the first buzzer, Tyler Smith however, hit Athleta’s first triple, with Kaya Calleja bagging the second straight after.
McLeod had the last laugh of the rubber, however, as her layup set Hibs apart by 13 points at the end of the first quarter.
Athleta briefly lifted their pace early in the second quarter with jump shots from Julia Schembri, Tyler Smith and Calleja.
But McLeod punished the Gżira side with shots from close and far, and the Paolites stunned their opponents in the final four minutes as they scored no less than four three-balls to make sure of a 22-point lead at half-time.
The third quarter effectively settled the contest.
McLeod opened the half with another three-pointer before Hibs launched another decisive run. De Martino and McLeod took over with consistent finishes, only countered by efforts from Sharon Vella as the Paolites pushed their advantage up to 30 points with 2.42 to go in the rubber.
Further triples from McLeod and Sasha Lecuyer, and a mid-range jumper from Kirstie Sammut saw Hibs lead 78-40 ahead of the final quarter.
Hibernians maintained their momentum in the closing stages. Macleod and De Martino competed for game-high points, while it was damage limitation for Athleta as there seemed to be no way back in the fourth.
ATHLETA E. Farrugia, J. Schembri 2, B. Agius, N. Vella 2, K. Calleja 9, A. Micallef, K. Caruana 2, M. Smith 29, S. Vella 8, K. Abela 2, L. Camilleri 4.
HIBERNIANS M. Buhagiar 5, L. Micallef 7, S. Lecuyer 5, M. Bonett, S. De Martino 31, M. Marmara, H. McLeod 37, J. Diaby 12, K. Sammut 4.
Referees G. Barbara, F. Ciurariu.
BETSSON DEPIRO 73
CAFFE MOAK LUXOL 53
(20-11, 17-17, 22-9, 14-16)
Depiro secured a comfortable victory over Luxol on Saturday after gradually taking control of the contest and pulling away in the second half with a terrific third quarter.
Lovely Sonnier led the game’s scoring with 25 points while Julia Borg and Neve Borg both added 13.
At the other end, Sarah Fenech Pace finished with 15 points, as Olivia Wikstrom followed with 14 and Lisa Fenech Pace added 13.
Luxol’s Wikstrom opened the scoring with a layup before adding a three-pointer to give her side an early edge.
Depiro responded quickly through Julia Borg and Claire Privitera, but it was Sonnier who began to tilt the game in the Mtarfa side’s favour. The import player scored repeatedly in the paint and capitalised on turnovers as Depiro produced a strong scoring run.
Vanya Baldacchino briefly halted the momentum with a three-ball, yet Sonnier struck again late in the rubber to help Depiro take a 20-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Luxol regrouped well in the second quarter. Lisa Fenech Pace and Sarah Fenech Pace combined to spark a quick run with several fastbreaks and second-chance baskets that trimmed the deficit to a single point.
Depiro steadied through Sonnier and Privitera before Sonnier and Julia Borg found their shot from range to regain a double-digit advantage, one brought back to nine points after a Sarah Fenech Pace layup 19 seconds from halftime.
Depiro strengthened their grip on the game after the change of ends. Neve Borg opened the scoring as the Mtarfa side began to pile up the close-range efforts while Luxol began to struggle. This gradual build up reached 24 points with another mid-range jumpshot, achieving the widest gap of the game. Lisa Fenech Pace brought it down to 22 by the end of the quarter but it was a tough nut to crack if Luxol were to come back from that in the fourth.
The Violets attempted just that with a much better quarter, but Depiro weren’t done yet either, matching most of Luxol’s efforts to win the game with a comfortable 20-point gap at the final buzzer.
BETSSON DEPIRO S. Abela 8, J. Borg Xerri 2, J. Mallia 2, C. Privitera 8, C. Fenech 2, J. Borg 13, N. Borg 13, L. Sonnier 25, S. Deguara.
CAFFE MOAK LUXOL G. Carabott, E. Axisa 4, L. Fenech Pace 13, R. Fenech Pace 1, J. Said 1, E. Abela, S. Fenech Pace 15, O. Wikstrom 14, S. Sciberras.
Referees Z. Dobrosaviljevic, M. De Flavia.
VALLETTA DREAM 56
STARLITES REVIVE 96
(21-28, 13-21, 10-23, 12-24)
Starlites produced a commanding performance to defeat Valletta later in Saturday’s late game.
The result was shaped by Starlites’ balanced offence that saw no less than five players reach double figures, led by Rebecca Naudi’s 16 points.
As for the Citizens, it was a well-awaited return for Olesia Malashenko who put on a powerful individual performance to finish with a 27-point, 19-rebound double-double.
Marie Elise Pollacco rounded the double-digit scorers with 13.
In fact, it was Valletta’s Malashenko who opened the scoring with a close-range basket, yet Starlites quickly took control as Michel Zammit Cordina struck from long range before adding a fastbreak finish.
Riolo duo Philippa and Mikela kept the momentum flowing with mid-range scores as Starlites built an early cushion.
The Capital club responded through Pollacco and Malashenko, the latter catching fire late in the period with a three-pointer and a fastbreak score to narrow the deficit. Despite the late push, Starlites still held a 28-21 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Pollacco carried Valletta’s response into the second rubber with several baskets but Starlites answered through Mikaila Napoleon and Julija Dabic, while Zammit Cordina added another three-ball to extend the advantage.
Malashenko kept Valletta within reach with another long-range effort, but Starlites finished the half strongly, moving ahead 49-34 at the interval.
The contest swung decisively in Starlites’ favour after the break as Naudi, Dabic, Haverlock, and Mikela Riolo all scored before Valletta’s first bucket of the second half.
Despite a Hailey Grixti three-ball, continuous layups and mid-range jumpers ensured a 28-point lead ahead of the fourth quarter.
Starlites maintained their momentum in the closing stages. The Naxxar side pushed their lead up over 30 early on to counter any Valletta surge, and while threes from Malashenko and Grixti made a dent, a late barrage of points gave Starlites a 40-point victory.
VALLETTA DREAM A. Pisani 4, M. Pollacco 13, M. Trapani, O. Mmalashenko 27, M. Momcilovic 2, H. Grixti 8, M. Mifsud 2.
STARLITES REVIVE A. Cassar Seguna 2, M. Riolo 7, C. Cilia 2, P. Riolo 12, M. Zammit Cordina 14, M. Fenech 4, R. Naudi 16, G. Haverlock 14, L. Zammit 3, M. Napoleon 7, J. Abela 3, J. Dabic 12.
Referees A. Attard, W. Lim.
STANDINGS: Hibernians 24; Caffe Moak Luxol 23; Betsson Depiro 22; Starlites Revive 20; Valletta Dream, Athleta 14.
