Naxxar draw level after upsetting Hibs
Depiro closer to final
While champions Depiro Still are now just a win away from a place in the final, rivals Hibs Go Mobile will have their work cut out after a surprise defeat to Naxxar Danone who have levelled the semi-final play-off series 1-1.
Hibs lost chief scorer Lucienne Bezzina near the end of the first session after a bad fall in the Naxxar zone. That upset seriously jolted Mario Tabone team's aspirations as they lost all cohesion and team play for most of the match.
Naxxar profited from their opponents' mishap to open an 18-8 lead at half-time. So confused was Hibs' play that during the second session they only managed to pot a single basket.
As the third session got underway, Hibs were still unable to impose their game and Naxxar extended their lead even further to 28-8. Then, a Doreen Parnis basket spurred Hibs into action. Gradually they came more into the picture and with only two minutes left for play they drew level 30-all.
A foul in mid-court allowed Irene Farrugia to pot two free-throws for Naxxar.
Hibs fumbled a series of shots as Farrugia maintained her cool to seal victory for Naxxar from the free-throw line - 34-31.
Depiro, at full strength, again confirmed their superiority over Luxol. After Luxol took an early 12-5 lead, Depiro came back to dominate the second quarter and change ends 36-24 ahead.
With Luxol unable to put any pressure on Depiro, the champions went on to achieve a comfortable 71-48 victory.
They are now leading 2-0 and require one other victory to clinch a berth in the final for yet another year.
Next fixtures:
Peugeot League: (tomorrow) 6.15 p.m. Hibs vs Naxxar (1-1), 7.45 p.m. Depiro vs Luxol (2-0).
Kinnie League: (Thursday) 6.15 p.m. Pembroke vs Footwork (1-0), 7.45 p.m. Hamrun vs Luxol (1-0).