Basketball

BOV National League – Men 1 Div.

 

Pavi Depiro     94     Floriana Royce     76      

(23-19, 21-16, 21-23, 29-18)

 

Depiro made sure of their top placing at the end of the group matches, before the Play Offs. They beat the outgoing champions, who failed to defend the title won for the first time, last season, by going into the Final Four. A high scoring match ensued, with depiro wipinbg off the Greens’ early advantage, and then set the pace, with Floriana having to chase for the rest of the match.

There were high scores for the two respective foreigners, but the triples were not quite in abundance. Floriana recovered David Agius, who had missed their last encounter, the victory over Luxol.

Flroiana were in fine fettle at the start, making up an opening 9-4 advantage, . Depiro answered back with a brace of hoops, with Floriana replying likewise. Depiro then began to take the initiative, and they finaished the session with a solid 15-4 run, as Matthew Adekponya and Roderick Vella put in their treys.

In the next quarter Depiro were still intent on increasing their lead, with a 9-2 run, with the Greens having Peter Shoults and Billy Zammit netting their triples, but in between one of the referees, Stephen Micallef, collided with a Floriana player, and had to be escorted into the MBA clinic, where he took no further part in the encounter, left in the hands of the other two officials. Till the interval there was a balance in play, with depiro holding on to their lead, with Adekponya points, and a 44-35 halftime score.

After the break Floriana began their way back, despite an early Sam Bartolo trey for Depiro. A 9-2 run for Floriana was followed by a 7-0 Depiro run. The Greens pressed forward, with Dirk schembri and Derek Elston points, and Vella points at the other end, for a 65-58 score to Depiro. In the last session Depiro had Adekponya to increase their advantage. Vella also netted a trey, with Elston answering back likewise.

Abraham portelli came off the bench for depiro, and put in a couple of hoops, before there were the last two triples, Andrew Aquilina for Depiro and David Camilleri for the Greens, but the game was already won and lost by then.

Depiro: R. Vella 17, M. Adekponya  40, N. Sultana 2, A. Aquilina 9, A. Portelli 4, S. Bartolo 5, A. Axiaq 8, E. Lupo 3,  I. Tanti 6, M. Agius

Floriana: O. Shamala , D. Elston 26, D. Camilleri 12, P. Shoults 11, S. Borg, B. Zammit 3, C. Calleja 6, D. Schembri 18, D. Agius

Referees: E. Mangani, C. Terribile, S. Micallef