Depiro in first final this season

Depiro                 74

Hibernians          68

(22-16, 11-16, 21-18, 20-18)

Depiro are fast becoming a team of surprises. They edged out the more quoted Hibs outfit to advance to their first final of the season. They did this with a new mentor Dominic Scafidi in lieu of Marko Zloh who was abroad. 

The Paolites couldn't get away from their opponents whose cool manner of play frustrated the Hibs side.

Depiro began with an 8-0 lead as skipper Maria Bonett converted all the points also with a trey. Sam Brincat netted a Paolite triple but Depiro were back with another 8-0 run and a Nicole Agius triple.

Free shots kept Depiro on a useful advantage but Hibs ended the period on a 7-2 run and a late Brincat trey.

In the second session, Hibs began to show more spirit and a 9-2 run shot them ahead. The lead then began to change hands seven times in all. When the interval arrived it was Depiro nosing in front on a 33-32 advantage.

After the break, a Silvia Gambino trey for Hibs had them regaining their lead. They kept ahead till mid-session until a Depiro surge had them making up a solid 16-2 run with Nicole Agius pouring in three more triples.

Sophie Abela pulled points back for the Paolites but Depiro were 54-50 in front.

In the last quarter, Emma Micallef and Brincat triples had Hibs on a tied score. Depiro were again ahead with Steffi DeMartino and Claire Cianter points even if Brincat nailed another trey for Hibs.

DeMartino then sank her trey and Alexis Lloyd points - playing her best game so far for Depiro - opened up a better advantage. The Paolites went to within a point as Brincat made yet another triple but in the last stages of the match Depiro made their free shots as Hibs tried to stop the clock with Justine Xuereb coolly making a trio of them to secure Depiro's victory.

Depiro: M. Scicluna,  T. Mifsud, C. Camilleri, M. Bonett 18, S. DeMartino 13, N. Agius 14, No. Agius, A. Lloyd 17, J. Xuereb 6, C. Ciantar 6 

Hibs: E. Micallef 3, E. Cassar 4, S. Gambino 10, S. Brincat 19, I. Agius, J. Abela, S. Abela 16, K. Caruana, N. Farrugiia, R. Kehoe 10, M. Said, J. Scerri 6

 Referees: T. Mantere, K. Dworniczak, I. Marjanovic

Luxol win, in low score match

Starlites GIG     36

Caffe Moak Luxol      54

(5-10, 15-18, 6-12, 10-14)

The two sides were meeting each other for the fifth time with honours even - two wins each.

To Luxol's credit they won all four sessions of play thus continually opening up their advantage. Both sides were guilty of turnovers with Luxol making better use of their opponents' mistakes.

The champions had players missing - Martina Darmanin and Ina Baena Medina now out of  Luxol's remaining plans for the rest of the season.

A slow start to the match had Starlites with the opening advantage but Luxol settled down and made up a late 8-0 run as Kay Portelli and Sarah Pace made triples.

In the second period, Starlites' attempts to get nearer had the champions in constant replies to maintain their lead. Finally Starlites could reduce their deficit going quite near but Luxol reacted with an 8-0 run ending with another Portelli trey.

Patricia Arguello netted a Starlites triple but her side was still 20-28 behind at the interval.

After the break, there was another scarcity of points. Luxol withstood Starlites' first attempts and stretched their lead a little more. Starlites were unable to make any advances and the champions had Cristina Grima and Pace adding on two more treys as their side went to a much better 40-26 advantage.

In the last session there was no worthwhile Starlites reaction, and Luxol could maintain control of the remainder of the encounter as Maria Brown and Grima  ensured their side's victory with more points of their own.

Arguello managed two late hoops which didn't alter Starlites' heavy defeat.

For Luxol it will be their second final of the season after their defeat by Athleta in the Super Cup.

Starlites: M. Zammit Cordina, K. Galea 6, J. Doughty 1, S. Farrugia 4, H. Acreman 2,D. revol, M. Riolo, L. Pirotta 2,  P. Arguello 12, M. Cutajar 1, S. Davis 2, A. Lupo 6 

Luxol: S. Pace 7, Ni. Vella, No. Vella, C. Grima 21, K. Portelli 9, L. Caruana Montaldo, M. Brown 13,  C. Sollami,  C. Curmi 4

Referees: B. Vassallo, Z. Dobrosavljevic, I. Simic