St. James Hospital Shield  – Men 1 Div. – Final

AtoZ Electronics Athleta     78     Floriana Royce     65

(14-14, 23-8, 20-24, 21-19)

Athleta have taken another honour this season, their third yet, from three. It was also eight victories in this Shield, and their last four in a row. This win also avenges their league defeat, suffered against the Greens, in the league campaign. Both sides had come into this match on losses suffered the week before, but whereas Athleta had been beaten by Luxol, heavily, Floriana had to bow down three times, against different opposition. Athleta had Floriana testing them in the first part of the match, but after taking a sizeable advantage till the interval, the Greens found the going heavy, and had to chase at a distance. When they fell further behind it was all over for them, and they had to concede defeat another time, in a final against Athleta, after losing out in the Super Cup, earlier on in the season.

Floriana started off well enough, taking a 7-2 lead, with Clayton Calleja points. Then it was Athleta with a 9-3 run, mainly from Chad Patus, before the Greens twice took another lead. Athleta squared things up before the session ended. In the next session, after a three point play by Michael Naudi, for Athleta, Floriana had Derek Elston pushing them on to a 20-17 advantage. Athleta rolled their sleeves up, and proceeded to make up a hefty 13-0 run, to steer clear of their adversaries. The Greens stopped them with an Elston hoop, but Athleta went on with another 7-0 run till the interval, with a Steve Schembri triple. At the halfway stage Athleta were enjoying a favourable 37-22 scoreline.

After the break Floriana began with a Peter Shoults trey, with Athleta reacting with a three basket spread. The Greens then had Dirk Schembri in form, to mark up their hoops, but Athleta always had occasion to reply. Elston and Schembri then drew the Greens closer, and, with a session to go Athleta were resting on a 57-46 advantage. When it was expected that Floriana would make a strong thrust, to save the match, the opposite happened. Athleta piled in a solid 14-2 run, mainly from Omar Said, including a triple, and Floriana were left behind. The Greens couldn’t get any nearer until the last stages of the match, when their free throws only took them marginally nearer, with Athleta in control of the situation.

After the final the MBA president, Paul Sultana, presented the winning trophy to the Athleta captain, Michael Naudi, his third presentation so far, this season.

Athleta: M. Naudi 23, B. Bartolo , D. Bugeja 9, C. Patus 25, C. Galea , M. Giusti ,

             O. Said 14, S. Pace , D. Ross , K. Baldacchino , S. Bischoff , S. Schembri 7

Floriana: O. Shamala , D. Elston 26, D. Camilleri , P. Shoults 10, S. Borg 4,

          B. Zammit , C. Calleja 7,  D. Schembri 16,  D. Agius 2

Referees: B. Vassallo, G. Barbara, C. Terribile