Luxol 71
Starlites Sports Experience 29
(20-6, 19-9, 21-4, 11-10 )
The champions duly obtained their third straight win over Starlites and they now hone up for their important matches to come.
Starlites faced a difficult time although Marilou Cutajar emerged with her head held high as the game’s top scorer. The Violets had the occasion to give a run to all their players with frequent substitutions.
Luxol had Martina Darmanin in lieu of Lara Chetcuti. Starlites player had Marie Claire Cilia instead of Lara Pisani and they recovered Dorien Jager.
The Violets went out strongly as expected and pinned Starlites down in an opening 15-2 run with a Beverlle Zammit triple.
The only Starlites player to pierce the Luxol defence was Cutajar with her three hoops in the session. By that time Luxol had added on to their advantage for a handsome lead.
In the second period Cutajar was still netting her hoops for Starlites but the Violets had Clementina Medina with nearly all the points in a 10-2 run.
Starlites recovered with a brace of baskets but Luxol, despite constant team changes, made up a 9-0 run from six different players. At the interval, the Violets held a heavy 39-15 lead.
After the break Starlites were put under pressure. They could only net a couple of hoops but before that Greta Zarb had netted a triple for the Violets and after it was all Luxol.
They took their time when they totted up a solid 16-0 run especially from Paula Ellul who came off the bench. By then Luxol were 60-19 ahead. T
he last session was short in points on Luxol’s side but much better for Starlites who reached double figures. It was Cutajar the protagonist for them and the Violets had Darmanin with a brace of hoops. The shared points between both sides kept the Violets on a hefty advantage till the end of the match
Luxol 12 S. Pace, M. Sciortino, 9 C. Medina, 5 B. Naudi, J. Busuttil Gaerty, 10 G. Zarb, 6 P. Ellul, 11 R. Murphy, 4 D. Muscat, 4 M. Darmanin, 2 A. Paul, 8 B. Zammit
Starlites A. Farrugia, 1 C. Riolo, 2 A. Grixti, 2 S. Tabone, S. Cutajar, 4 D. Jager, S. Davis, L. Pirotta, 2 N. Attard, MC Cilia, 2 C. Scicluna, 16 M. Cutajar
Referees S. Gouder, L. Camilleri