Starlites make it a three horse race
Gzira Athleta 72 Starlites GIG 76 (18-15, 16-21, 20-28, 18-12)
Starlites made it back to back victories in a week over the champions.
After the KO they now beat them in the league campaign to open up the possibilites of finishing on top of the ladder for the Play Offs in a three team selection.
They are now two points behind the league leaders and a single point after Hibs but with a match in hand. The game had many facets but boiled down it was the end of the encounter that decided the matter.
Athleta battled back to tie the score it was left to Starlites’ American Konor Kulas who potted the last points of the match to hand his side their second success against Athleta after conceding three defeats earlier.
It was the champions with the opening lead with American Cannel Crossland hoops and a
Shawn Pace triple. Starlites had to trail till the end of the period. Crossland sank a trey with Matthew Scerri doing the same at the other end. Late free shots then took Starlites nearer.
In the next session, Athleta drew further away slightly but Starlites came up with a 10-0 run and another Scerri trey to forge ahead. Athleta were snapping at their heels but couldn’t make the overtake. Scerri nailed a third Starlites triple with Peter Shoults and Matthew Gouder also made Athleta treys but their side was still just behind at 34-36 at the halfway stage of the match.
After the break, the champions quickly tied the score but Starlites were ahead once more Scerri kept up his shooting prowess in triples with another brace. Up came Athleta’s other American Ian Thiesen with a personal seven point run and Athleta grabbed another lead.
Starlites took another advantage with Ian Felice Pace netting a treyTheir advantage grew as American Robert Ahearn came into the picture. Gouder made a second Athleta triple but late free throws had Starlites enjoying an unexpected double figure lead on a 64-54 score.
The last quarter had Starlites restoring their original lead after suffering two early buckets. Athleta’s Serbian Milos Novakovic twisted his ankle but his team mates grimly came back to tie the score as Gouder and Pace netted triples.
Kulas was there to restore Starlites’ advantage with his late points and even if Athleta had hope and they came near again, there wasn’t time enough left for them and Starlites handed them their second league defeat in a row making the leadership issue a more complicated one.
Athleta: M. Novakovic 4, C. Crossland 26, E. Sciberras, P. Shoults 5, L. Stefanovic, S. Galea, N. Xuereb, M. Gouder 18, I. Thiesen 11, E. Abela, R. Abela, S. Pace 8
Starlites: A. Felice Pace 11, B. Zammit, R. Bonnici 6, I. Felice Pace 5, M. Fabri, M. Falzon, M. Scerri 17, R. Carabott 4, K. Kulas 26, R. Ahearn 7
Referees: B. Vassallo, D. Torok, M. Hraisha