Late free shots ease Athleta's minds

Gzira Athleta 78 Bupa Luxol 74 (18‑26, 23‑11, 15‑25, 22‑12)

Athleta twice had the better of Luxol this season, after their Shield victory, but they were both close calla. This time around athleta also had to wait till the last four seconds of the match, to seal their win, with a brace of American, Jalen King, free throws. Both sides laid claim to two session victories, and the Violets were plus seven, midway through the last quarter, but Ath‐ leta made the better ending to the match, restricting Luxol to just a lone bucket in the remain‐ ing time. The Americans on court made the lion's share of the points, at either end, Athleta's Roland Griffen by far the match best scorer, netting no less than 45 points. Luxol's pair of Ameri‐ cans, Trevian Bell and Tayler Mattos, sank 28 points each, with Mattos being fouled out late in the game, with Depiro profiting, to obtain the deciding points. The thing about the Violets was that Bell was the main threat to De‐ piro till the interval, with Mattos more in evidence for the rest of the match. This was Athleta's sec‐ ond win in three matches, with Luxol suffering back to back de‐ feats, after an opening league win.

Luxol opened well to race into a double figure point advantage, at 15‐5, with Jean Paul Schembri and Bell triples. . Athleta were still trailing later on, but by the end of the period they had clawed back to an 18‐26 score, as Griffen grew stronger in the game. His points,in the next ses‐ sion, in a personal 9‐0 run pushed Athleta to the front, but Luxol regained their lead. Athleta were back, with another 9‐2 run, and the Violets had to chase. they managed a late Bell trey, but were still 37‐41 in arrears, at the interval.

After the break more Griffen points had Athleta on an im‐ proved advantage. Luxol recov‐ ered, and mattos led his side, in a 10‐0 run, which overturned the score.

Play then see sawed, but a cou‐ ple of Schembri triples kept Luxol ahead, and late points extended their lead, to a 62‐56 score, going into the last quarter. . Luxoolm seemed to have the measure of their opponents, with Nathen Xuereb netting his solitary trey for athleta, but his side were still 65‐72 behind, midway through the period. That was when the game changed, with the Violets finding the way to the opposing basket difficult, and Athleta find‐ ing other players, besides Griffen, to bolster their score. Athleta poked their noses in front, with Luxol replying for the last time. A Cesc Mifsud Bonnici hoop had Athleta in the lead, and King's free shots did the rest, leaving their adversaries unable to bridge the gap, with a handfuol of seconds remaining.

Athleta: J. King 16, F. Mifsud Bonnici 2, N. Buhagiar , L. Ste‐ fanovic 3, J. Ellul Dowling , N. Xuereb 12, R. Griffin 45, I. Xuereb , S. Vincic , R. Abela , B. Zammit

Luxol: J. Cefai , N. Vasovic 5, M. Sciberras , T. Bell 28, JP Schem‐ bri 9, A. Trapani , L. Trapani , T. Mattos 28, M. Matijevic , S. Cap‐ pello 4

Referees: B. Vassallo, F. Ciu‐ rariu, N. Azzopardi

Four victories for Starlites in top position

Depiro 76 Starlites Fijo 83 (16‑16, 19‑28, 17‑18, 24‑21)

Depiro: J. Flagel , S. Galea 14, B. Nel , D, Camilleri , A. Aquilina 12, N. Grech 6 , K. Rooks 31, M. Brin‐ cat 4, M. Mallia , C. Cornelius 9, M. Debattista , J. Micallef

Starlites: M. Attard 9, I. Felice Pace 10, M. Fabri 7, L. Riolo , M. Scerri 3, R. Carabott , L. Farrugia, L. Farrugia , K. Xuereb 4, N. Sul‐ tana , D. George 26, J. Notch 24

Referees: D. Torok, Z. Do‐ brosavljevic , J. Londono

Hibs collapse in the final quarter

Mellieha Libertas 91 Hibernians 83 (19‑22, 22‑29, 17‑19, 33‑13)

Mellieha: S. Zammit , M. Falzon 2, D. Bugeja 9, R. Bonnici 15, V. Jandric 13, I. Bonett 2, N. Bukva , N. Jovanovic 3, C. Zinaich 47, M. Formosa

Hibs: N. Cassar 2, P. Attard , L. Borg , L. Farrugia 10, G. Cassar , A. Axiaq 7, M. Fall , R. Aquilina , M. Attard , J. Bogle 28, I. Demce‐ sen 30, P. Shoults 6

Referees: I. Simic , I. Ciurariu, V. Nikolic

Mapfre MSV Life League ‑ Women

Hibs off the foot of the league table

Hibernians 75 Fusion Quest 45

(20‑17, 15‑20, 24‑5, 16‑3)

Hibs: E. Farrugia 4, I. Agius 7, A. Van Vliet 10, S. Brincat 6, B. Agius , J. Abela 8, N. Farrugia 7. K. Caruana 8, K. Conti 4, K. Calleja 3, J. Dabic 18, M. Mendez

Fusion: D. Debono , M. Mom‐ cilevic 5, J. Schembri 8, M. Ste‐ fanovic15, E. Pace, Apostolovska, T. Azzopardi Deguara , A. Ca‐ ballero 5, N. Pejcic 7, Z. Milidragovic 4

Referees: B. vassallo, I, Ciurariu

Starlites still unbeaten this season

Starlites Fijo 69 Arms Depiro 58 (18‑14, 17‑11, 19‑17, 15‑16)

Starlites: M. Zammit Cordina 10, M. Riolo 7, A. Saliba 5, M. Sciberras, S. DeMartino 4, M. Fenech 11, A. Simmons 11, C. Cilia 6, S. EDavies , C. Curmi 15

Depiro: N. Agius 14, J. Xerri 3, J. Mallia , L. Deguara , C. Ciantar 5, N. Hili, C. Samuels 23, J. Magri , J. Borg 6, C. Fenech 1, L. Camilleri , E. Cassar

Referees: F. Ciurariu, N. Az‐ zopardi, J. Londono