It was an open match, with no player being hampered with excessive marking. Young players went on court from time to time, and the teams' minds were more on their encounter in two days' time, when the hostilities will really start. Sliema held an edge throughout the match, and kept their top position in the standings.

Siggiewi had Louis Camilleri and Eman Xuereb missing, and there were also three other players on the bench who never made it to the court.

Siggiewi opened up with a David Camilleri trey, but Sliema had a reply, till they went 8-6 in front. Later on an Etienne Bezzina trey gave Sliema a better lead, but Siggiewi shut their opponents out, and a 10-0 run till the end of the session, with Camilleri involved continually, put Sliema in a small deficit.

In the second quarter Omar Said sank a trey for Sliema. Siggiewi's free shots couldn't prevent their adversaries fron going ahead. Siggiewi did draw level, at 21-21, but Michael Naudi went on court for the Blues, and sank a couple of treys, in a personal 8-0 run. WWhen Siggiewi tried to recuperate it was Tino Riolo who popped up for Sliema. Siggiewi's points in the latter stages of the quarter were overshadowed by two more Sliema treys, by Adrian Micallef and a third for Naudi. At the halfway stage it was Sliema, at 39-27.

After the break Sliema went out strongly, and starting with a Kristinn Baldacchino trey, they made up a 9-0 run, before Siggiewi could recover. It was mainly through David Camilleri, and helped by a couple of Abraham Portelli hoops. Sliema's baskets weren't that frequent, but they could still hold a 57-44 advantage, with a session to go.

Siggiewi opened with a couple of hoops in the last quarter, but there was a quick reply from Sliema, as Naudi put in his fourth trey, in a 7-0 run. Siggiewi also sank a trey, by Portelli, in a personal 5-0 run, but Naudi manage dto sink his fifth trey. Sliema's 11-2 run saw Jeffrey Gatt also putting in his share.

The end came soon enough for both teams, as they now concentrate on the final series.

SIGGIEWI: A. Spiteri, 26 D. Camilleri, J. Doughty, 9 A. Portelli, JP Azzopardi, 5 P. Shoults, 7 JP Bonnici, A. Bonnici, 1 S. Sammut, 7 A. Huizer, 2 JP Antoncic

SLIEMA: 20 M. Naudi, J. Zammit, 2 C. calleja, 9 E. Bezzina, J. Galea, 6 T. Riolo, 7 O. Said, 8 A. Micallef, 4 D. Cuschieri, 7 K. Baldacchino, 7 S. Cassar, 5 J. Gatt

REFEREES: Bernard Vassallo, Emanuel Mangani, Anthony Micallef

Final Standings: 25 Dakar Sliema, 22 Siggiewi Smina, 18 Bupa Luxol

( The first two sides go into a best of three final)