WILLIE VASSALLO

Compleet ended Bupa’s unbeaten run, stretching to 24 matches, with both sides already assured of a place in the playoff final.

Bupa made a good start, but from the second session onwards it was Compleet who dictated play, with the Bupa players guilty of countless turnovers. As time passed it was the Compleet outfit who were the more determined, and the Bupa clan seemed resigned to their fate.

It was also Compleet’s first win over Bupa after seven defeats. Compleet had originally beaten Bupa in their first encounter, and they are the only team to beat Bupa this season.

It was a very fast game from the start, as Compleet took the first points, in a 4-2 lead, but Bupa produced an 11-0 run, through Matijevic and Steve Schembri. Compleet recovered, to go nearer to their adversaries, but Bupa managed to put in two late hoops, for a better lead, after the first session.

In the second quarter Robert Azzopardi sank the game’s first trey for Bupa, but Compleet were playing with more determination, and they put together a long and strong 19-2 run, as Kristin Baldacchino made his trey. The lead served Compleet to hold a lead at the halftime buzzer, on a 30-23 score, as Bupa found difficulty in obtaining points in this quarter.

After the break Bupa went near with a Steve Schembri trey, but Compleet then pushed their opponents all the way, with an 11-0 run, as Michael Naudi was more prominent, for a 41-28 lead.

Compleet put in their treys, by Omar Said and a second by Baldacchino. Bupa began to crawl back, aided by two more treys by Steve Schembri. An 11-3 run made it a closer score, but Omar Said sank his second trey, for a 52-43 Compleet lead after three sessions.

In the final quarter Bupa’s first efforts to make it back were dealt with by the confident Compleet outfit, who then relied on free throws, and a thrid Omar Said trey, in another good 18-2 run, which went on till late in the match.

Bupa were caught cold, and were unable to better their tally, leaving Compleet on a large winning margin.

The two teams will now cross swords in the best of three matches for the league championship, with the first game starting on the first day of May.

Compleet: 23 M. Naudi, I. Buldakov, C. Calleja, 9 E. Bezzina, J. Galea, T. Riolo, 22 O. Said, 2 A. Micallef, 10 K. Baldacchino, 6 S. Cassar, R. Mifsud

Bupa: R. Dalli, M. Mercieca, 3 R. Azzopardi, M. Micallef, A. Borg, 2 A. Bianchi, M. Bonnici, T. paris, 9 D. Schembri, E. Caruana Mondaldo, 24 M. Matijevic, 13 S. Schembri

Referees: Jean Paul Sammut, Emanuel Mangani, Anthony Micallef.