Athleta champions, to sweep all three honours of the season

Basketball - BOV League Men 2 Div. - Play Offs Final 3

Gzira Athleta 61 Marvels Power Plus 38 (14-13, 12-10, 17-6, 18-9)

It was a foregone conclusion, as Athleta kept up their winning streak till the last day of the season, being monarchs of all they surveyed, as they beat Marvels for the third straight time, in the finals. The latter, as is their mark, kept close till the interval, but then began to fade away, with Athleta's play taking command, and their MVP, not only for this final series, but throughout the whole season, their American 'fuori classe', Kwame Thompson, totted up a generous haul of points, once more, as his side drew away streadily from their adversaries, to end the match on a comfortable note. Marvels recovered their Finn, Andres Toompere, from their second final, but their two other foreigners, the Pole, Kamil Maruda, and their Spanish import, David Garcia, were missing.

Athleta made a good start to the game, with a 10-3 run, as Thompson started early, with his hoops, and Darren Debattista netted a Marvels trey. The latter side then recovered well, with a 10-2 run of their own, and a Luke azzopardi triple, and Christian Briffa points, as they forged in front, only for Francesco Mifsud Bonnici to regain athleta's advantage.

In the second session Thompson sank a trey, but Marvels tied the score. Azzopardi put them ahead once more, but Athleta were in front, with a stefan Vincic triple. Azzopardi again tied the score, with a third trey, with Thompson giving Athleta a halftime lead, on a 26-23 score.

After the break Athleta began to put the pressure on theri opponents. A long 14-2 run, as Vincic netetd a second triple, took them away. Both sides made late points, but Athleta were comfortable, on a 43-29 lead.

The last period had Athleta putting teh finishing touches, with another heavy 13-0 run, as Thompson kept up his scoring rate, also making a second trey. They then loosened up a little, with Marvels able to enhance their points total. Athleta still had Luca Stefanovic netting a triple, with Marvels, ensing the match on a 7-2 run, with Azzopardi points, and a last Jonathan Ransley hoop, when Athleta's bench players had a late taste of the encounter.

After the match the BOV Chief Officer, Peter Perotti, presented the winning medals to the victorious Athleta players, the MVP award to Kwame Thompson, and skipper, Joshua Aquilina, received the league trophy, to add on to the Shield and K.O. honours won earlier on in the seaso, in their unbeaten run.

For Athleta it was their third success, after quite some time, in this category, after league wins, way back, in 1976 and 1984.

Athleta: R. Zammit, F. Mifsud Bonnici, J. Wait, J. Aquilina, L. Stefanovic, M. Gauci Montaldo, N. Xuereb, K. Thompson, C. Schembri, S. Vincic, M. Cilia, D. Buhagiar.

Marvels: L. Azzopardi, D. Massa, D. Pisani, R. Curmi, D. Debattista, K. Maruda, D. Garcia, C. Briffa, A. Morris, J. Ransley, A. Toompere

Referees: E. Mangani, B. Sly, I. Marjonovic