Depiro made the double over Kerygma, and also stayed in line for a final three place, holding their third position, and now well clear of Kerygma. The latter kept their fourth spot, although suffering their third straight defeat. All the Depiro players put their name on the score sheet.
Soon after the start Josette Calleja netted a trey for Kerygma, but Depiro didn’t waste time to draw level. Nadia Cassar put Kerygma in front again with her personal points, but a couple of hoops brought the two teams on level terms once more. Kerygma grittily swung back into the lead, and this time they kept their noses in front to lead by a mere point.
In the second quarter Calleja once more put in a trey, but from then on Depiro played better and, led by Joselle Cardona, they slowly but surely took command. An 8-0 run put them in the lead. Amanda Farrugia stopped the run with her free shots, but Depiro strode forward again, and another 8-0 run gave them a 26-16 interval lead.
After the break Depiro were still pushing home their superiority. Lucienne Cuschieri’s free throws were the only answer for Kerygma, as they suffered an opening 14-2 run.
Depiro kept on till the end of the session, making up another 13-1 run, with a Greta Zarb trey, and Rachel Camilleri fast breaks. After three sessions the Mtarfa side were leading 53-21.
In the last quarter there was a Kerygma reaction, as Josette Calleja made nearly all the points in a 6-2 run. Depiro settled down, and a 12-0 run, with two consecutive Busuttil Gready treys, asserted their dominance.
Cuschieri replied once more for Kerygma, but Depiro were busy putting in their points. They made up another 10-2 run, ending with a third Busuttil Gready trey, with Nadia Cassra closing down the match score for Kerygma.
Depiro: 20 Joselle Cardona, 15 Rachel Camilleri, 9 Justine Busuttil Gready
Kerygma: 12 Josette Calleja, 9 Nadia Cassar
Referees: Jean Paul Sammut, Clive Terribile
Luxol 71
SN Suns JC 20
(16-6)(18-2)(16-6)(21-6)
Luxol held on to their top position with no difficulty, as they disposed of wooden spoonists Suns, as they met them for the second time this season. The Violets could afford to make some player rotations, keeping in mind the more demanding games later on in the season.
Luxol, as in their last game, were minus Justine Mangion and Ruth Spiteri, the latter only guiding from the bench. Suns had to make do with only seven players.
In the first session Suns’ Svetlana Micallef opened the proceedings, but Luxol combined well, as Mandy Sciortino first made the hoops then was the provider for Julienne Attard, as the latter increased Luxol’s lead.
Suns?reply was a couple of hoops, as Luxol extended their advantage, and went into double figures early in the game.
In the second quarter Suns were more severely pressed, as Attard had Bev Zammit’s help in obtaining the Violets’ hoops, in a 12-1 run. Luxol had made their changes on court, and Suns could only reply through free throws. Luxol had a good ending to the session, and Emma Moore concluded with a brace of hoops, for a 34-8 score, at the interval.
After the break Mandy Sciortino sank two hoops for Luxol, but Nicola Said went through the Violets’ defence for a Suns basket. Luxol then took the game in hand again, and Psaila Savona made amends for her earlier misses, as she contributed in a long 12-2 run. Doris Bonello closed down the session with a Suns hoop, for a 50-14 score, after three sessions.
In the final quarter the points were scarcer at first. Graziella Santillo grabbed her second hoop for Suns, but Luxol had Bev Zammit sinking her usual treys, two of them. Sciortino and Diana Muscat put in their share, in a 16-0 run, and at the end there were openings at both ends, with Psaila Savona also putting her name on the three-point scoring list.
Luxol: 18 Mandy Sciortino, 13 Julienne Attard, 12 Francesca psaila Savona, 12 Beverlee Zammit
The Suns’ players had low personal scores.
Referees: Stephen Micallef, Jennifer Mangani