BUPA Luxol 66

Compleet IS SW 63

(after overtime)

(10-11)(12-15)(19-8)(13-20) – (12-9)

The first step has been taken, and it went in BUPA’s favour, but they had to come from behind in the closing seconds, to force overtime, and then run out eventual winners.

It was a tight game, but both sides had their moments, and it could have gone either way. Compleet had to play extra time without two of their most important players on the bench, having been fouled out in the last quarter, and BUPA’s win now puts them on an even keel, to capture a historic clean sweep of five honours in a single season.

At the start both sides were more intent on their opponents than on their own play. After Compleet’s first hoops it was BUPA on a 5-4 lead. Compleet then took the reins in hand, and posted a 7-2 run, with an Omar Said trey. BUPA reacted to cut down the deficit, but Compleet were still in front at the end of the opening quarter.

In the seocnd session BUPA promptly levelled, but a three basket spread, as Etienne Bezzina found his mark, opened up Compleet’s lead once more, at 17-11. BUPA had to get back, and that they did, with a 7-2 run, and an Alan Borg trey. A little later, and the two teams were on an even 20-20 score. Compleet made up yet another three basket spread, to hold on to a 26-22 advantage, at the interval.

After the break BUPA started to creep back, and with Compleet only able to obtain points from free shots in their favour, BUPA managed to go in front, through a Matijevic hoop. Compleet’s compact defence was being breeched more often, and BUPA put in an 8-0 run, and a Robert Azzopardi trey, going on to a 37-29 advantage. Compleet did recover, but BUPA managed to hold on to a useful lead. After three sessions they led 41-34.

The final quarter was having its toll on the players, and only a hoop was registered at both ends, after three minutes. Bezzina sank a trey for Compleet, for a 41-45 deficit, as points were still hard to come by, but Azzopardi nailed his second trey, for a better BUPA lead.

Compleet did more than recover, as Kirsten Baldacchino’s trey and Bezzina’s third long ranger, put them ahead, with less than ten seconds to go. BUPA saved the game with a Steve Schembri free shot, and the two sides went into overtime, with Compleet having lost Omar Said and Michael Naudi on fouls.

It was BUPA with the better start, but Compleet returned to a point down on two occasions. Steve Schembri sank a trey and BUPA’s lead was enough to hold the edge, and keep Compleet at bay for the remaining time.

The clean sweep is now in sight for BUPA, as they face Compleet in the second final, tomorrow.

BUPA: R. Dalli, 5 M. Mercieca,. 14 R. Azzopardi, M. Micallef, 11 A. Borg, A. Bianchi, M. Bonnici, T. Paris, 6 D. Schembri, E. Caruana Montaldo, 15 M. Matijevic, 15 S. Schembri

Compleet: 13 M. Naudi, I. Buldakov, 5 M. Zammit, 15 E. Bezzina, J. Galea, 4 T. Riolo, 9 O. Said, 1 A. Micallef, 8 K. Baldacchino, 5 S. Cassar, R. Mifsud

Referees: Bernard Vassallo, Jean Paul Mifsud, Alfred Carbonaro