Siggiewi's unbeaten start came to an end on Sunday when they lost to Pembroke Athleta SW in the final match of the first round. Qormi Kia recorded their first victory when defeating Depiro while Luxol enjoyed a comfortable win over Floriana.

Pembroke Athleta SW 76
(11-10, 13-18, 24-14, 14-20, 14-9)
Siggiewi Smina 71

Pembroke inflicted the first defeat on Siggiewi after extra-time.

This match developed into a tense affair which never reached great heights as both teams were guilty of some erratic shooting.

Albert Spiteri and David Camilleri were absent for Siggiewi while Kristian Baldacchino and Tino Riolo did not feature in the Pembroke squad.

Pembroke ended the game with only four players but it was too late for Siggiewi to overturn the deficit.

The first seven points of the match were scored by Pembroke who were the brighter side early on.

A time-out by Eric Farrugia paved the way for a Siggiewi fightback. Six consecutive points bolstered Siggiewi's confidence as they led 16-11 early in the second session.

There was a slight improvement in Pembroke's performance but at half-time, they trailed Siggiewi 28-24. Playmaker Louis Camilleri did most of the damage for Pembroke in the opening two sessions.

The foul count of both teams increased as the game progressed. Pembroke made the better start to the third session to go a basket ahead, 38-36, by the fifth minute.

Siggiewi just could not find their shooting range. Pembroke's Duncan Cuschieri nailed a series of three-pointers to power his team 48-42 ahead at the start of the last quarter.

Siggiewi seemed unable to lift their game and Pembroke looked in control. However, the loss of Cuschieri and Silvio Cassar, both fouled out, proved the right tonic for Siggiewi who levelled the score at 62-62.

Extra-time was required to determine a winner. Pembroke made the stronger start, scoring eight consecutive points before Michael Naudi struck a decisive three-pointer that all but sealed the match in Athleta's favour. In the final seconds, Pembroke's Omar Said and Peter Shoults, of Siggiewi, were sent off.

Pembroke: M. Naudi 15, J. Zammit, E. Bezzina 4, O. Said 12, A. Micallef 17, D. Cuschieri 12, S. Cassar 14, J. Gatt 2.

Siggiewi: L. Camilleri 28, J. Doughty 3, A. Portelli 4, J.P. Azzopardi 13, P. Shoults 2, J.P. Bonnici 3, A. Bonnici 18, L. Grech, M. Pajec, E. Xuereb.

Refs: B. Vassallo, S. Micallef, A. Carbonaro.

Qormi Kia 56
(12-8, 16-13, 17-12, 11-12)
Depiro 45

Qormi, led by veteran coach Alfred Mifsud, gained their first victory of the season at the expense of Depiro.

Without taking anything away from Qormi's merits, Depiro clearly failed to maintain the momentum of their previous matches.

Despite giving up possession on several occasions, Qormi still managed to open up a 10-2 lead.

A time-out boosted Depiro who reduced the gap by the end of the session, 12-8. The introduction of Adrian Baldacchino helped Qormi to regain the upperhand. Qormi were 28-21 ahead at half-time.

Depiro's coach Adrian Mifsud elected to put his trust in the team's young players and switched to a full-court pressing game.

This move did not work out as planned as Qormi took advantage of the gaps and went on to hold a maximum lead of 18 points, 41-23, by the sixth minute.

As the game entered its final stages, Depiro improved but Qormi overcame a difficult moment to hold out for a deserved victory.

Qormi: W. Griscti 11, A. Grech 4, K. Scicluna 7, J. Micallef, A. Camilleri, C. Vella , R. Formosa 2, J. Dalli 4, R. Baldacchino, C. Bugeja 1, S. Cauchi 7, A. Baldacchino 20.

Depiro: R. Vella 13, C. Cassar 6, M. Sammut 2, G. Muscat 2, A. Aquilina 2, A. Tabone 3, M. Mallia 2, B. Zammit, E. Lupo 10, A. Costa 5, I. Tanti, D. Agius.

Refs: B. Vassallo, E. Mangani , G. Barbara.

Floriana 52
(4-24, 10-27, 18-21, 20-37)
Bupa Luxol 109

Luxol were up and running from the early stages, using pressing tactics that proved too much for Floriana.

With pivot Derek Schembri a dominant figure underneath the boards, Luxol stormed into a 11-0 lead and finished the first session 24-4 in front.

Floriana played better in the second session but Luxol stayed in command to go in for half-time with a reassuring 37-point lead, 51-14.

Luxol easily neutralised Floriana's timid efforts to get back into the match and cruised to an emphatic 109-52 victory.

Floriana: R. Spiteri, N. Falzon 2, J. Paris 2, A. Sultana 8, B. Riolo 2, V. Tobarov, G. Gilson 4, R. Mifsud 12, C. Gauci Grech 4, D. Ross 18.

Luxol: M. Mercieca 21, R. Azzopardi 13, M. Micallef 8, A. Borg 9, R. Dalli 5, D. Schembri 28, E. Caruana Montaldo 5, J. Jetsen 5, S. Schembri 15.

Refs: G. Barbara, S. Micallef, E. Mangani.

Standings: Pembroke (4-1) 9, Siggiewi (4-1) 9, Luxol (3-2) 8, Depiro (2-3) 7, Floriana (1-4) 6, Qormi (1-4) 6.

Top scorers: M. Naudi (Pembroke) 112, D. Ross (Floriana) 95, D. Schembri (Luxol) 86, S. Schembri (Luxol) 86, R. Vella (Depiro) 69.

Next fixtures: (Louis Borg Cup, preliminary round) tomorrow - 6.15 p.m. Siggiewi vs Floriana; 7.45 p.m. Depiro vs Luxol.

(Gatorade League) Friday - 7.45 p.m. Qormi vs Luxol; Saturday - 4.15 p.m. Siggiewi vs Floriana; Sunday - 4.15 p.m. Pembroke SW vs Depiro.