Athleta in the semis, with Floriana
Depiro leave Pool 2 wide open
netting four hoops which still kept his side in a commanding lead till the end of the encounter.
Hibs: P. Attard 1, M. Matijevic, M. Hampton, L. Farrugia 12, S. Attard 6, I. Bonett 13, K. Caruana 7, R. Carabott 3, S. Vella, F. Mariani 2, A. Lizaur 12
Athleta: M. Naudi 19, R. Vella 8, D. Camilleri 2, L. Stefanovic, P. Shoults 7, F. Mifsud Bonnici, B. Zammit 6, S. Vincic, M. Gauci Montaldo, J. Whitehead 29
Referees: B. Vassallo, T. Helenius, K. Djordiczak
Bupa Luxol Cynergi Depiro (12-11, 17-18, 14-29) 68 73
Luxol had already beaten Starlites but they came a cropper in their match with Depiro with the two sides now having a win but with Starlites still in contention as a victory over Depiro will mean basket difference between the three teams.
Luxol were without Dean Meli and with Depiro having Nicholas Grech in lieu of Kurt Xuereb. There was nothing between the two sides till the interval but the second part of the match tipped the scales in favour of Depiro who obtained a winning advantage. Luxol came back too late to save the match and were a few points shy at the end.
It was Depiro with the better start making up a 10-2 run mainly from Robert Bonnici also with a triple. Luxol overturned the match and till the end of the period they had gone ahead on a mere point advantage with a 10-1 run and a CJ Cordina trey along with successive Pierce Cumpstone points.
In the next session, Luxol went further in front as JP Schembri netted his triple. Depiro retaliated well making up an 8-0 run to grab a lead. Luxol managed to tie the score and a Cordina triple shot them in front. Depiro persevered and Samuel Zammit was on hand to level the score with a last second trey at 29-29 going into the interval.
After the break, both sides recorded treys - Andrew Aquilina for Depiro and Cumpstone at the other end. The lead changed hands twice more before Depiro took a grip on the match obtaining a solid 15-4 run as Timothy Zammit and Aquilina made triples.
Luxol had no tangible reply and Depiro finished off the session with an 8-2 run and David Bugeja free throws to mark up a sound 58-43 advantage.
In the last quarter, Depiro held off their opponents with more Bugeja hoops until Cumpstone netted a brace of triples for the Violets. Dominic Scafidi also made a triple for Depiro but Luxol pressed hotly and put in a late 132 run with another Cumpstone trey but this spurt came too late as time ran out on Luxol leaving Depiro to savour their victory.
Luxol: CJ Cordina 15, M. Mercieca 6, J. Willoughby 2, J. Maistre Melillo, JP Schembri 5, K. Dimech 5, W. Ahlberg , P. Cumpstone 31, S. Cappello 4
Depiro: J. Attard, D. Bugeja 21, R. Bonnici 20, D. Schembri 2, A. Aquilina 6, S. Zammit 9, T. Zammit 7, M. Mallia, A. Quiros, N. Grech, M. Borg, D. Scafidi 8
Referees: G. Barbara, E. Mangani, Z. Dobrosavljevic