Starlites GIG 66
Luxol 59
(15-9, 14-12, 15-14, 22-24)
The reigning champions registered their first success of the season with a marginal win over Luxol.
The latter, although trailing for all the game save the initial basket from Mandy Mercieca, made a last-ditch effort to reduce the double-digit gap three minutes from time to a single trey in the final seconds.
This ultimately resulted in a fairly-balanced match even from a stats viewpoint with both sides almost matching each other except in the rebounds game where Starlites had a clear advantage in defensive rebounds.
Mikela Riolo, Maria Bonett and game top scorer Patricia Arguello put the Naxxar side ahead after Luxol’s early and only lead.
Despite a further brace of buckets from Starlites’ captain Samantha Farrugia, Luxol still managed to stay close at hand with Sharon Vella’s points.
An Arguello long-distance shot early in the second quarter had Starlites open their first double digit lead at 22-12 but the Violets’ nippy guard Sarah Pace helped her team regain some lost ground by the half way mark.
Further Vella baskets momentarily brought Luxol to just a long shot away at 28-31, midway in the third quarter. However, Starlites reacted instantly with Arguello leading the Starlites’ offensive onslaught assisted by Michela Zammit Cordina and Christina Curmi for a 44-33 lead.
Luxol’s initial reaction in the last quarter was a respective trey from Pace and Ina Baena but Arguello replied at the opposite end with back-to-back three-pointers.
Six minutes later, two converted free shots seemed to have definitely closed the game with Starlites still enjoying a double-digit lead with two minutes left to the final buzzer.
Luxol had other thoughts as they found their scoring mark and an 11-4 run had them trailing just 59-62 with less than a minute to go.
They opted to foul to try and stop the clock and regain possession but Starlites kept their calm as Arguello and Curmi coolly potted two free-throws each to ascertain their side’s victory.
Starlites: M. Zammit Cordina 4, M. Riolo 7, A. Micallef 3, S. Farrugia 6, M. Bonett 3, F. Fabok, C. Curmi 10, C. Cilia, P. Arguello 29, M. Cutajar, S. Davies 2, A. Lupo 2.
Luxol: S. Pace 19, B. Zammit 3, N. Vella, I. Baena 3, No. Vella, S. Vella 19, K. Portelli, A. Borg, L. Caruana Montaldo, M. Caruana, C. Sollami 2, M. Mercieca 13.
Referees: K. Dworniczak, L. Camilleri, I. Simic
Hibernians 73
Arms Depiro 53
(17-14, 18-18, 21-13, 17-8)
Depiro were the first off the mark with a Claire Ciantar early hoop but Hibs gradually settled down and seemed to be moving to control the game when they had a nine-point stretch.
However, Depiro ended their four-minute point drought with their only trey on the day through Nicole Agius.
In fact, Depiro lacked in their long-distance shooting while Hibs managed to bang in a team total of eight three-pointers with their captain Samantha Brincat raining in a triple of treys.
With Depiro’s import player Hannah Johnson being fed more playable balls and also gaining space under the boards, the Mtarfa side came back well into the game and it was only a brace of buckets from Hibs’ main point-getter Asleigh van Vliet and a Brincat trey that helped the Paolites to a slender 17-14 lead after ten minutes.
At the start of the second rubber, it was Depiro that emerged more precise through a 10-2 run with a basket from the young Julia Borg putting them back in the lead.
It was then tit-for-tat as the lead changed hands in the next four minutes until late first half three-pointers from Naomi Farrugia and Marie Buhagiar helped Hibs to maintain a marginal half-time lead at 35-32.
The game remained on an equal footing after the interval with Johnson spearheading Depiro for a tight game at 44-43 with three minutes to go in the third quarter.
The game’s clue moment arrived here as Hibs surged ahead with some strong and fast plays with young Ylenia Bonett grabbing a series of baskets to add to those from the experienced duo Brincat/van Vliet as Hibs moved to a sudden double digit 62-45 lead with six minutes to go to the final buzzer.
Depiro could not keep their earlier momentum and their possible late reaction was not forthcoming, so Hibs controlled the last minutes of play to register their first Shield victory.
Still, the final result does not do much justice for Depiro’s gallant display for almost eight tenths of the game.
Hibs: I. Agius, J. Xerri 2, A. Van Vliet 21, S. Brincat 16, E. Farrugia, J. Abela 2, K. Calleja, Y. Bonett 15, N. Farrugia 6, C. Camilleri 2, K. Caruana, M. Buhagiar 9
Depiro: N. Agius, N. Borg, N. Ebejer, Ni. Agius 10, D. Agius 2, J. Borg 4, D. Said Hollier 5, M. Scicluna 2, C. Ciantar 8, T. Mifsud, N. Hili, H. Johnson 22, E. Cassar
Referees: B. Vassallo, Z. Dobrosavljevic, L. Camilleri.
Results
Under 19 Women
Luxol vs Siggiewi - 46-42
Depiro vs Starlites - 43-65
Next fixtures
Sunday
Depiro vs Starlites - 12.45
Luxol vs Hibernians - 14.30