HIBERNIANS 67
STARLITES GIG 63

(11-11, 20-14, 20-15, 16-23)

Hibernians and Starlites, which many portray as being the main rivals for honours this season as things stand, came into this game off of two straight wins in the opening two days of the MAPFRE MSV Life League.

Finally, the Paolites were the ones to maintain the perfect start but they had to fight hard for the victory even if many thought that they were already home and dry midway in the third quarter when they had opened a substantial 45-29 lead.

However, Starlites upped their tempo and managed to not only draw level in the final rubber but also overtake their opponents on two instances only then to suffer Hibs’ last onslaught which decided the game.

Five early points from Jasmine Abela, who ended as her side’s top scorer on the day, helped Hibs to an early lead but balance was quickly brought back as Starlites responded with a Patricia Arguello trey following a brace of hoops from Mikela Riolo and Maria Bonett. 

At the other end, last season’s player of the year Samantha Brincat notched a long distance shot.

It was tit-for-tat for most of the opening minutes in the second quarter until a late Hibs 9-1 rally helped them to open a small 31-25 lead at the interval.

The start of the second half was all Hibs as Ashleigh Van Vliet netted a trio of hoops together with other shots from Leanne Duncan, Brincat and Abela as the Paolites cruised to a 16-point lead.

Starlites eventually found their offensive mark with 19-3 run spread over six minutes between quarters as they managed to neutralise fully their deficit and even overturn the score to a marginal 55-54 lead with Arguello banging in two treys assisted by hoops from Stephanie Demartino, Bonett and Christina Curmi.

The game was once again wide open and the clock running down to the last minute with Hibs leading 62-61. Here an Abela trey and two Duncan free throws proved very beneficial for Hibs at such a late stage as Starlites did not have enough time to recover once again and the final buzzer had the Paolites registering their third win on the trot.

HIBS: I. Agius, J. Xerri 4, A. Van Vliet 13, S. Brincat 9, L. Duncan 9, J. Abela 18, B. Agius, Y. Bonett 10, N. Farrugia, C. Camilleri, K. Caruana 4, M. Buhagiar.  

STARLITES: M. Zammit Cordina 7, M. Riolo 3, A. Micallef 2, S. Farrugia 8, M. Bonett 8, F. Fabok, C. Curmi 7, S. DeMartino 8, P. Arguello 20, M. Cutajar, A. Lupo.   

Referees: Z. Dobrosavljevic, L. Camilleri, M. Hraisha.

ARMS DEPIRO 61
LUXOL 76

(19-27, 22-13, 14-19, 6-17)

The first win in the MAPFRE MSV Life League was in the reckoning before this match as Depiro and Luxol had lost their opening two encounters. 

They did fight hard for the win and the game resulted in one where both squads had positive moments and even different leads only for Luxol to show more consistency and emerge as the final winners thanks also to a decisive run in the last minutes.

Luxol’s long distance shots made the difference in the first quarter. 

Depiro took an early marginal lead off a Nicole Agius trey and a Hannah Johnson and-one play put a respective brace of three point shots from Sarah Pace and Antoinette Borg moved Luxol to a 20-11 score.

Depiro tried to make amends till the end of the first rubber but Luxol maintained their lead.

The Mtarfa side’s best moment arrived when play set off for the second quarter as they gradually overturned the score in six minutes of play inspired by Johnson’s moves under the respective boards and Claire Ciantar’s and Agius’s buckets.

Luxol’s offensive plays were disjointed at this stage even if they still managed to keep close to their opponents who closed the first half enjoying a small 41-40 lead.

For eight minutes into the second half the game’s momentum was maintained. Johnson kept Depiro ahead with more hoops for a 52-49 score.

Here Luxol made their first significant move towards their victory as they had a quick seven-point streak, including a Pace trey and free throws from Borg and Amanda Mercieca, the latter already grabbing a series of hoops earlier on and then grabbing five buckets in the last quarter to end as the game’s joint top scorer with Depiro’s import player Johnson.

Shanice Farrugia looked to have brought back Depiro to just one point away with a very late trey. But loose marking by Depiro allowed Luxol to reply instantly with a Monique Caruana long-distance shot right on the third quarter buzzer.

The last rubber had an important 9-0 Luxol run between the third and ninth minute, a run that finally determined the encounter. 

With Depiro passing through a momentary point drought, Mercieca led the Violets with a set of buckets assisted by Nicole Vella who also proved very important in Luxol’s set-up in this game.

Now enjoying a double-digit lead and with the game time running out, Luxol controlled the tempo in the last moments of the game to grab their first league win.

DEPIRO: No. Agius, T. Mifsud, N. Agius 12, J. Borg 2, D. Said Hollier, M. Scicluna 2, C. Ciantar 13, S. Farrugia 3, N. Hili 2, N. Borg, H. Johnson 27, E. Cassar.

LUXOL: S. Pace 12, B. Zammit 3, N. Vella 15, I. Baena, No. Vella, C. Sollami 5, K. Portelli, A. Borg 11, J. Schembri,  M. Caruana 3, P. Ellul, M. Mercieca 27.

Referees: G. Barbara, Z. Dobrosavljevic, I. Simic.

Standings

Hibernians 6, Starlites GiG 5, Luxol 4, ARMS Depiro 3.