McDonalds Depiro 87
Phoenix Qormi Mendoza 22
(20-0, 26-5, 19-10, 22-7)
Depiro kept their position at the top of the standings with a third victory over Phoenix this season. They overran their opponents in the first two sessions when they built up a solid score.
Their bench players had more playing time with Phoenix having a bigger say after the interval to reply as best they could in an uphill struggle.
Depiro had Sam Brincat and Francesca Bianco missing from the side that beat Hibs with Martina Mifsud and Maria Bonett taking their places. Phoenix were without the injured Carina Gauci Meilaq along with Carla Marie Vella and Daniela Scicluna.
The opening period was totally in Depiro’s command. Phoenix were left pointless for the shole session as Steffi De Martino and Vontisha Woods obtained all the points between them except for a solitary incursion by Antoinette Borg.
The second period started differently with Phornix nailing a triple by Martha Abela and adding a hoop by Vanessa Agius.
That was as far as they went when Depiro took the game in their hands once more and proceeded to pour in a shower of points. Woods stayed on court and continued to improve her tally. She had a helping hand from Christine Sammut and a Steffi De Martino triple.
At the interval Depiro were on a hefty 46-5 advantage.
After the break, Phoenix began once more with a triple from Helene Potigny and a Vanessa Mifsud Tommasi basket. Depiro rallied with an 11-0 run but this time Phoenix managed to acquire more points although De Martino kept on with her points.
After three sessions the score stood at 65-15.
The last session was a more quiet one with less points for Depiro at first. Nicola Said helped herself to mor points for Phoenix. Maria Bonett obtained a brace of hoops and more points as did Martina Scicluna.
An 8-0 run ended the match for Depiro for a higher score as they consolidated their top placing.
Depiro: A. Mifsud, 2 G. Mifsud, 3 J. Xuereb, 5 M. Mifsud, 21 V. Woods, 4 M. Scicluna, 2 T. De Martino, 7 A. Borg, 11 C. Sammut, 7 M. Bonett, 1 S. Micallef, 24 S. De Martino
Phoenix: 4 M. Abela, 4 V. Agius, 2 F. Micallef, 2 V. Mifsud Tommasi, M. Agius, 7 N. Said, MR Agius, 3 H. Potigny, A. Camilleri,
Referees: L. Camilleri, R. Darmanin
Starlites Sports Experience 37
Honey Athleta 66
(4-22, 17-17, 10-14, 6-13 )
For Athleta it was their third victory over Starlites as they crept away from the bottom two teams.
They are now threatening Hibs for the third spot which opens a way into the play offs. A blistering start gave Athleta a heavy lead which stood them well as Starlites were better in the next two periods but they had a solid deficit facing them.
Starlites had Charlotte Riolo unavailable and Lara Pisani played in lieu of Marie Claire Cilia. Athleta were without Claire Ciantar and Raissa Sciberras and they introduced Janice Bondin into the senior side.
Athleta opened strongly with points from Aleksandra Ratomska and Lonneke Calleja in an 8-0 run. Marilou Cutajar obtained the first hoop for Starlites but Athleta took up once again this time with a better 14-0 run with Francesca Farrugia and Leanne Sciberras points before Cutajar netted a second for Starlites.
The second period was a different story. To offset Farrugia’s next two hoops for Athleta Starlites’ first points came from triples two by Lindsey Pirotta and another by Lara Pisani as Starlites also managed an 8-0 run.
Athleta settled down more with more Ratomska points to take the game in hand again. A late 10-0 run from them was stopped by another Cutajar basket and at the interval Athleta were on a 39-21 advantage.
After the break, Athleta began with a brace of hoops but Pirotta was on hand once again for Starlites. She sank two more triples but Athleta recovered with a three basket spread before Cutajar replied with two more hoops as Starlites improved their tally a little though they were yet 31-53 behind.
Athleta committed their first foul at the start of the final session. Points were less for Starlites when they experienced difficulty in attack.
Athleta made up a good 11-2 run mainly from Ratomska. Starlites last points came from free throws with Athleta easing up and only managing a final basket.
Starlites: 2 A. Farrugia, A. Grixti, 2 S. Tabone, S. Cutajar, 3 D. Jager, S. Davis, 12 L. Pirotta, 2 N. Attard, 4 L. Pisani, C. Scicluna, 12 M. Cutajar
Athleta: 2 M. De Martino, 20 A. Ratomska, 8 L. Calleja, 10 L. Sciberras, 2 M. Azzopardi Duca, 2 G. Muscat, J. Bondin, 2 S. Pisani, 16 F. Farrugia, 4 K. Busuttil, C. Mifsud
Referees: L. Camilleri, B. Sly
Luxol 51
Hibs Melita Gardens 48
(17-13, 13-16, 6-8, 15-11
A close encounter was decided in the last half minute of play when Luxol bounced back twice in the later stages and sank their last two hoops to make sure of a positive result. After an early lead Hibs had to chase their adversaries until the end of the third period. Luxol held leads in the final session but they fell behind late in the game only to recuperate with quick strikes.
The champions had just the one absentee Kay Portelli. The Paolites were with their full outfit including their crop of youngsters.
After Luxol’s opening hoop Hibs retaliated with a 7-2 run and a Lena Gipson triple. The Violets twice tied the score.
Hibs went ahead once more but the champions replied with a three basket spread as Robin Murphy kept up her series of baskets with Luxol holding on to their advantage till the end of the session.
The Violets still went on in the next period. A 7-2 run with a Sarah Pace triple had them out in front. Gipson dragged the Paolites back and later on it was Kirsten Baldacchino with more hoops as Hibs began inching back. An 8-2 run brought them to just a point behind at the interval on a 29-30 score.
After the break up popped Greta Zarb and along with previous points she sank two quick triples. Luxol’s new advantage came under threat quickly as Hibs made up an 8-0 run which took them to the end of the session.
Hibs had their noses in front twice after chasing their opponents for so long. But in the last minute of play Luxol struck decisively with Zarb and Pace overturning the score in their favour.
Luxol: 14 S. Pace, 4 M. Sciortino, C. Medina, 2 B. Naudi, J. Busuttil Gaerty, 14 G. Zarb, P. Ellul, 20 R. Murphy, D. Muscat, A. Paul, B. Zammit
Hibs: J. Xerri, E. Cassar, M. Zammit, 9 L. Bezzina, F. Mifsud, 2 M. Desira, K. Gatt, R. Scerri, 4 N. Arrigo, 4 K. Baldacchino, 4 J. Cardona, 25 L. Gipson
Referees: E. Mangani, A. Carbonaro
Hibs Melita Gardens 85
Starlites Sports Experience 31
(16-6, 21-10, 28-9, 20-6)
Hibs returned to victory, after two defeats, and they marked up their fifth win over Starlites. Again, their bench players had a larger say in the game, and all the Paolite players put down their name on the score sheet. Starlites once more relied on Marilou Cutajar, to obtain their points, and Lindsey Pirotta kept up her triple scoring prowess.
Hibs had Alexis Cutajar back, after a long absence. Starlites recovered Charlotte Riolo from their last match, but Dorien Jager was missing.
Hibs made a bright start, with an 8-2 run, but Starlites then found more space soon afterwards, to net a couple more hoops. After a complete change in the Paolites’ squad on court, the Hibs players put in another 8-2 run, till the end of the period, through Maria desira and Julia Scerri. In the next quarter Hibs pressed hotly, and obtained a heavy 19-2 run against a bewildered Starlites side, when Lena Gipson made her first points. Once more there was a complete overhaul in players from Hibs, but this time it was Starlites who made a brace of Pirotta triples, in an 8-2 run, along with more Cutajar points. At the interval Hibs were 37-16 ahead.
After the break the Paolites, through Gipson and Joselle Cardona, began with a 7-2 run. Starlites tried to make a decent reply, but Hibs came up with another 7-2 run, and Elena Cassar points. They were stopped by another Cutajar hoop, but the Paolites spent the remainder of the session marking up a long 14-2 run, to end on a 65-25 score. The last quarter was still heavily in Hibs’ favour, when they continued with their style of two teams taking over from each other. Hibs made a 9-0 run before Starlites could answer. Hibs’ response then was another 11-2 run, with Gipson the main scorer, before going on the bench. The game then died down in the last stages, with such an unbalanced score.
Hibs: 6 J. Xerri, 16 E. Cassar, 2 F. Mifsud, 2 L. Bezzina, 4 M. Zammit, 8 M. Desira, 2 K. Gatt, 2 A. Cutajar, 4 N. Arrigo, 8 K. Baldacchino, 12 J. Cardona, 19 L. Gipson
Starlites: A. Farrugia, 1 C. Riolo, A. Grixti, 3 S. Tabone, S. Cutajar, L. Pisani, S. Davis, 9 L. Pirotta, 2 N. Attard, MC Cilia, C. Scicluna, 12 M. Cutajar
Referees: E. Mangani, D. Bugeja
Alyssa Ashley Loyola 44
McDonalds Depiro 64
(8-13, 7-15, 12-17, 17-19)
Depiro went right back to the top of the standings, though with a game more than Luxol. They always had the edge over their opponents, and after they built up a good lead in the second period, Depiro didn’t look back, and Loyola, still missing Christina Grima, did not have the necessary push to take something more from the match.
Loyola had Christine Grima unavailable still, with Kirsty Tonna and Martha Gatt also missing. Justine Mangion was back into action. Depiro recovered Sam Brincat and Francesca Bianco, with Justine Xuereb and Martina Scicluna losing their places.
Depiro began by taking a 6-1 lead, with Vontisha Woods points. Loyola obtained all their initial points of the session from Desarae Johnson, but Woods was equal to the occasion, putting in more personal points, as Depiro held on to their advantage. In the second session Depiro continued to increase their tally, this time with a 9-0 run, and Antoinette Borg free throws, along with more Woods hoops. It was still Johnson with a reply for Loyola, as they cut down on their deficit. Depiro were still into a double figure lead, and woods’ last hoop, before the interval, they enjoyed a favourable 28-15 score.
After the break Depiro once again made the better start, with a 7-2 run, and sam brincat hoops. Jean Doughty replied for Loyola, who however had fallen further behind. Depiro kept pressing forward, and Woods and Steffi De Martino lef their side in the scoring, when they finished the period on an 8-2 run. With a session to go Depiro were 45-27 in front. In the final session it was Abigail Sciberras for Loyola, to hike up a more respectable score, along with more Johnson hoops. At the other end Depiro made enough points to assure themselves of a handsome victory, as they kept their adversaries at a safe distance.
Loyola: 2 E. Moore, 4 J. Doughty, 2 D. Hollier, A. Bonanno, 2 J. Mangion, 11 A. Sciberras, 2 F. Camilleri, SJ Barbara, 21 D. Johnson
Depiro: A. Mifsud, G. Mifsud, M. Mifsud, 7 S. Brincat, 29 V. Woods, 3 F. Bianco, T. De Martino, 5 A. Borg, 2 C. Sammut, M. Bonett, 2 S. Micallef, 16 S. De Martino
Referees: A. Carbonaro, C. Terribile