Luxol 59
Hibs Medsea 43
(14-12, 14-12, 21-14, 10-5)

After a wait of 19 years, Luxol finally claimed their eighth basketball title yesterday when they won the third and decisive game from the final play-offs against Hibs Medsea who were the champions the past five years in succession.

Luxol’s victory was deserved as veteran coach Val Drury did well to lift his players’ confidence levels after their upset to Hibs in the second game.

Yesterday, Luxol were the more aggressive side as their full-court press posed all kind of problems for Hibs who played without regular playmaker Kerstin Baldacchino.

Luxol also had the better percentage in shooting and only Hibs captain Lucienne Bezzina played to her normal par to keep the Paolites in contention.

Bezzina hit a three-pointer right at the start but Luxol hit back with a run of 11 points. Hibs surpassed a patchy moment to notch the next nine points and take the lead only for Beverlee Zammit to put Luxol back in front at the end of the quarter with a pot from outside the arc.

Hibs had the best start to the second session to gain a 20-17 lead but a time-out and substitutions helped Luxol recover. They went on to change ends 28-24 in front.

Drury’s girls started pulling away towards the middle part of the third session. Their best scorer, Steffi Demartino, who until that point was blotted out by Joselle Cardona, suddenly found her touch and potted successive three-pointers to open her team’s way to victory.

Hibs were now a spent lot and lost all enthusiasm, allowing Luxol to control proceedings.

Luxol: E. Moore 6, M. Sciortino 12, L. Serge 6, B. Naudi 9, S. Demartino 15, P. Ellul, D. Muscat, B. Zammit 11.

Hibs: E. Micallef, M. Zammit, E. Bezzina 18, M. Desira 2, D. Micallef 9, A. Darmanin 8, N. Arrigo 3, J. Cardona 3, C. Schiavone.

Referees: G. Barbara, J.P. Sammut.

Men’s League: Athleta-Luxol 88-93.