Reports: Willie Vassallo

 

Photo: Domenic Aquilina

 

 

Last hectic seconds decide the match

 

Bupa Luxol     76

Hibernians     77

(16-23, 17-16, 18-18, 25-20)

 

The last seconds of the game were unbelievable. The lead changed hands four times in four seconds and finally the Paolites emerged winners.

Luxol must surely bemoan their golden opportunity in the last stages of the encounter when a two on one attacking move was wasted allowing the Paolites to come back in the match.

Previously Hibs enjoyed a heavy advantage in the third session but the champions returned strongly and they seemed to have won the match only to lose it right at the very end.

Luxol missed Wiliam Ahlberg's presence as he is still abroad but they could have increased their wins tally to three only for a fraction of a second. Hibs were without Simon Attard.

Hibs began in style netting three triples with two from Alvaro Lizaur and another by Luke Farrugia. The champions were close but Hibs opened up their advantage with a 10-2 run as Lizaur and Farrugia put in more treys. The Paolites held their lead till the end of the session.

Luxol crept nearer in the next period but the Paolites had Roderick Vella and Lizaur siniking their triples and Nikola Vasovic netting one for Luxol in a 10-3 Hibs run.

Late in the session the Violets replied with an 8-2 run as JP Shembri and Kyle Meyer also sank triples but Hibs were still 39-33 in front at the interval.

After the break, Hibs increased their advantage with a 7-2 run as Lizaur kept on with his treys.

Luxol reciprocated with a 7-2 run of their own with Meyer nailing another triple.

Then it was the Paolites with a 9-0 run with Chad Patus and Farrugia points the latter with another trey. Luxol ended the session with a 9-0 reaction as Schembri nailed another triple and they went nearer on a 51-57 score.

In the last quarter, Anton Axiaq made points and a trey for the Paolites but the champions struck back to tie the score as Keith Dimech sank a triple. Hibs regained their lead after a 7-2 run and a Patus trey but Luxol recovered well to post a 9-0 run almost all from Meyer as they forged in front.

Then came the gilt edged Luxol chance which was frittered away and Lizaur sank another hibs triple to take them within a point.

CJ Cordina netted a free throw but Luxol's basket advantage was wiped off as Lizaur managed yet another triple to shoot Hibs ahead four seconds from time.

Two seconds later Cordina netted his hoop to regain Luxol's advantage. The clock wound down but there were still two seconds to be played and that was enough for Hibs as Vella raced away to plant his hoop at the final buzzer and hand the win to the Paolites.

Luxol:  CJ Cordina 5, M. Sjoberg, N. Vasovic 7, JP Schembri 6, K. Dimech 21,

K. Meyer 31, A. Micallef Trigona, S. Cappello 6

Hibs: R. Vella 5, P. Attard, K. Sultana, L. Farrugia 15, I. Bonett 2, A. Axiaq 11, M. Matijevic 4, C. Patus 13, F. Mariani, A. Lizaur 27 

Referees: B. Vassallo, N. Azzopardi, T. Mantere

 

Depiro in first league victory

 

Starlites GIG     66

Cynergi Depiro     72

(17-18, 13-11, 18-16, 18-27)

 

Both sides were searching for their opening league victory and this befell to Depiro after their two defeats.

Starlites were without Robert Bonnici and Matthew Scerri roping in Ian Felice Pace who stayed on the bench. Depiro had david Camilleri crossing over from Athleta to play the rest of the season with them but they had Lene Duckinson and Malcolm Mallia missing.

Mitchell Brewe for Starlites and Dominic Scafidi for Depiro opened with treys.

The lead then changed hands four more times as Scafidi netted another Depiro triple besides four more hoops.

Mitchell Alec Felice Pace and Shawn pace all made a brace of hoops as Depiro kept their noses in front. In teh second period Pace sank a Starlites trey as they went in front but Depiro put in four hoops in a row.

Their lead was quashed as Starlites made up an 8-2 run till the end of the session with another Brewe trey to skip just ahead on a slim 30-29 score at the interval.

After the break, Felice Pace nailed two quick triples as Starlites edged further in front. Depiro then came up with a solid 14-2 run with more Scafidi points and a David Bugeja trey to open up a good advantage.

This was swept away as Starlites ended the period with a 10-0 run for a 48-45 advantage.

In the last session Andrew Aquilina netted a brace of Depiro triples and Felice Pace also netted his trey in between for Starlites.

Scafidi was still a thorn in Starlites' defence as Depiroheld a useful advantage.

A late Starlites thrust had them a triple away after a Ryan carabott three point play but Depiro held out and free throws made the game secure.

Starlites: S. Pace13, A. Schembri 2, S. Borg, I. Pace, A. Felice Pace 15, R. Carabott 5, O. Psaila, N. Andrejevic, J. Wait 3, M. Brewe 28 

Depiro:  D. Bugeja 18, D. Camilleri 1, A. Aquilina 7, N. Grech 3, A. Attard, K. Xuereb 9, M. Borg, D. Scafidi 34 

Referees: B. Vassallo, G. Barbara, T. Mantere