Starlites women champions for the second time

Starlites Fijo 57 Caffe Moak Luxol 49 (10‑13, 16‑12, 12‑13, 19‑11)

All the matches in this series were close, and all were deter‐ mined in the latter stages of the matches.

This fourth encounter was no exception, as Starlites and Luxol battled it out toe to toe. Then came the last minutes of the game, and Starlites forged for‐ ward,, to establish a significant advantage, which Luxol could not erase, and, after a lapse of four years, including the missing two championships, because of the COVID situation, Starlites are once again champions, taking the mantle from the same Luxol, who had acquires their four‐ teenth league title, last season.

The fifth rubber was not so far away, but Starlites made sure at the end, that they would be the ones to lift the league trophy. They had also beaten Luxol in the MBA Shield final, with the Vi‐ olets having their success in the three other honours available, the Super Cup, beating Hiberni‐ ans, the Louis Borg Cup, twice beating Arms Depiro, in the two legged final and once more get‐ ting the better of Hibernians, in the K.O.

This Starlites victory means that the same two sides will be meeting each other at the start of next season, in the next Super Cup edition.

Luxol's game plan was to elim‐ inate the threat of the Starlites skipper, Steffi DeMartino, and they succeeded, but Starlites had enough up their sleeves, in the other players, to keep up the pressure on the reigning cham‐ pions. American, Amelia Sim‐ mons, playing all these years in the local scene, finally managed to land a championship medal, after missing out on several oc‐ casions.

There was also Mikela Riolo, with the onerous task of shad‐ owing the Luxol Mexican inter‐ national, Gladiana Avila, and doing a good job of it, besides also netting two crucial triples, in the last session of play.

Luxol did not net any points from the three point line, and their forays in the opposing zone found a crowded area, which did not help their cause. Starlites were also consistent in the re‐ bounding field, at either end, to gain precious possessions. Star‐ lites had more experience, all in all, over their adversaries, whose youngsters were facing these sort of encounters for the first time.

Luxol were always in front, in the opening session, but Star‐ lites were not that far behind, ending the period just three points in arrears.

The second session had the Vi‐ olets holding on to their advan‐ tage for nearly the whole ten minutes, until Starlites struck in the closing stages, to grab a sin‐ gle point lead twice, and going in at the interval on a slight 26‐25 lead.

After the break Starlites man‐ aged to extend their lead by a few more points, but Luxol were back, to tie the score twice, be‐ fore the start of the last quarter, on a 38‐38 score.

Then came five lead changes, until Starlites struck with a game high 10‐0 run, and two triples, and Luxol had an uphill battle facing them. They were a spent force at that time, and Starlites could keep control of the play until the end, to run out victors, and land the highest ho‐ nour.

After the match the Starlites team were called out to receive their winning medals, the MVP award for the whole four match series went to the Starlites cap‐ tain, Steffi DeMartino, who also received the league champi‐ onship trophy, from the Mapfre MSV Life CEO, Michael Galea, along with the MBA president, Paul Sultana.

Starlites: M. Zammit Cordina 8, M. Riolo12 , A. Saliba , M. Sciberras , M. Bonett , S. De‐ Martino 5, M. Fenech , A. Sim‐ mons 20, C. Cilia , L. DeMartino , S. Davies 2 C. Curmi10

Luxol: C. Sollami , M. Mercieca 5, L. Fenech Pace 3, H. Galea , G. Avila 14, K. Portelli , S. Fenech Pace 6, Diaby16 , S. Sciberras , S. Farrugia , M. Marmara , A. Fenech Pace 5

Referees: B. Vassallo, D. Torok, Z. Dobrosavljevic