The Louis Borg Cup got under way last weekend with some exciting ties.
Depiro managed to overturn a seven-point first leg deficit against BUPA Luxol to reach the semi-finals thanks to late points in the second leg which handed them a two-point aggregate win.
Starlites GIG and Hibernians produced a hard-fough tie. Hibs came from behind in the first game to open a two-point lead heading into the second leg.
But it was the Starlites who reached the last four as they replied with a double digit win in the return match.
In the third series, Gżira Athleta registered comfortable victories over Balkan Fusion.
One hopes that the latter may be able to strengthen the squad during the forthcoming registration window in January possibly also with some promising fringe players on loan from other clubs.
In the semis, Gżira Athleta face Floriana MCP Car Parks while Depiro take on Starlites GIG.
The first legs will be played on Thursday with the return matches pencilled for Sunday.
GAME 1
BUPA Luxol 89
Depiro 82
(17-12, 29-24, 22-27, 21-19)
GAME 2
Depiro 71
BUPA Luxol 62
(15-14, 16-14, 17-17, 23-17)
(Depiro win 153-151 on aggregate)
This was a very interesting series which was decided in the last seconds of the second game when Depiro held on to a slender two-point lead as BUPA Luxol missed their last attempts to force overtime or even win the series.
Luxol took the lead in the first encounter, opening a double digit lead 46-36 by the interval, with Vukasin Jandric and Filip Sekulic immediately having a hot hand as they ended sharing 57 of their side’s 89 points in the game.
Depiro, however, never let go and kept their pressure and slowly also neutralised the deficit, with treys from Jack Nygaard, Keshaun Hamilton and Andrew Aquilina.
But Luxol managed to open a ten-point lead, 68-58, after hoops from Keith Dimech.
An Omar Said three-pointer made it a momentary two-point game, 72-74, with six minutes to go.
Luxol again replied with a 10-2 run that helped them end the first game with a seven-point cushion.
The second game got off immediately on a very balanced note with both sides continually replying to each other’s efforts and the lead changing hands on a number of occasions.
After ending the first half three points ahead, 31-28, Depiro set off an a superior offensive manner in the second half as they quickly opened a double-digit lead and an advantage in the series at 41-30 after baskets from two of their three US import players, Trent Steen and Keshaun Hamilton.
However, the series again tilted in Luxol’s favour as the latter were quick to come back with a 13-4 run having treys from William Ahlberg, Jandric and Sekulic.
Luxol also managed to regain the lead in the game up till six minutes from time at 54-52 after a Dimech mid-range basket.
A time-out helped Depiro find their footing again and led by Steen, as well as a Nicholas Grech long distance shot, they went 65-57 in the lead.
Less than two minutes from time Luxol again were ahead in the series after a Jandric trey at 62-65.
But this was their last score in the game whilst Depiro pounced back and further hoops by Steen and a five-metre basket from Said gave them the lead in the series.
Depiro could have closed the series but they missed two late free throws.
At the other end, a last second Luxol attempt was off mark and Depiro celebrated their close win in the series.
GAME 1
Starlites GIG 78
Hibernians 80
(15-21, 22-15, 26-15, 15-29)
GAME 2
Hibernians 75
Starlites GIG 87
(15-24, 21-19, 19-17, 20-27)
(Starlites GIG win 165-155 on aggregate)
This was probably the most-awaited series in this round as two of the main protagonists this season had to cross each other’s path so early in the competition.
The first game ended with a marginal win for Hibs who came from behind early in the fourth quarter and despite losing their coach, disqualified for an accumulation of major fouls, they turned around a 15-point deficit.
It was the Paolites who opened with the first lead through positive energetic play from Italian Luca Tardito.
With further contribution from their import players, Ivan Demcesen and Alvaro Lizaur as well as Chad Patus, Hibs kept hold of their lead until late in the first half when a Robert Bonnici trey followed by another from Jordan Stotts and points from Joe Tagarelli gave Starlites the lead at half-time.
A 12-2 run midway in the third quarter moved Starlites, led by their US guard Cameron Ward, to a double digit lead.
Following an Alec Felice Pace three-pointer at the start of the last quarter and the score at 66-51, Hibs lost their play caller Mario Tabone but they did no succumb.
On the contrary the Paolites fought back and slowly gnawed repeatedly at the deficit to tie the score at 75-75 in the last minute.
The last seconds of the first game contained spectacle as first Ward re-established a Starlites lead with a trey only for Tardito and Patus to score four points on the run.
Ward again, with two shots from the charity line, put Starlites 78-77 ahead with a handful of seconds to go but Tardito, on a strong drive ot the basket, had an and-one play to give the win to Hibs.
Eight minutes into the second game, Starlites had already opened a 21-10 advantage.
But Hibs were not going to let go and a strong second quarter start had them on 10-3 run as points from Patus, Roderick Vella and Anton Axiaq made it a momentary 25-27 game and a series tie.
Here, Starlites replied with eight straight consecutive points, six from Stotts and a hoop from Nick Formosa. Although Hibs did manage to put in a reply, two back to back treys from Felice Pace and Ward helped the victors to a 43-36 half-time lead.
The series was however still open even if Starlites were managing to keep a slender series lead as Hibs were trying their best to hit back in the third quarter and just three points separated the two sides on aggregate with ten minutes to go.
Two Ward long-distance shots boosted Starlites to a double-digit lead but Patus replied with a similar brace of treys five minutes from time, Felice Pace, who had 21 points in the second game, banked in a trey followed by two Ward hoops and now 13 points were separating the two sides, 77-64.
The pressure was now on Hibs and despite further points from Patus and Tardito, Starlites managed to maintain their lead to be the side, to book their place in the semis.
GAME 1
Gżira Athleta 106
Balkan Fusion 73
(23-13, 30-19, 26-15, 27-26)
GAME 2
Balkan Fusion 51
Gzira Athleta 110
(2-31, 21-21, 15-32, 13-26)
(Gżira win 216-124 on aggregate)
Gzira Athleta opened a significant lead in the first leg and then completely closed the series with an outstanding superior first-quarter display in the second leg.
Balkan Fusion had a short, number wise, squad which left few options for coach Vladimir Tomovic.
They did try their best with their main trio Nikola Bozovic, Nikola Vasovic and Patrick Walk, continually striving to do good on the court but their opponents were far too stronger.
In the first game, Gżira Athleta outplayed their opponents under the boards and had a better shooting percentage with Ivan Mitrovic having a hot hand from the long distance.
All the players on the team list managed to notch some points with Miguel Gauci Montaldo also helping himself to three hoops whilst Kwame Thompson ended the game with 20 points similar to Mitrovic.
The second game started with a bang for Gżira Athleta as they surprised their opponents with a hefty 35-2 after merely 11 minutes of play. Treys from Vincent Pace and Thompson and baskets from the rest of the starting five on the day, Luca Stefanovic, Matthew Gouder and American centre Carson Shanks led the way for the victors in the first quarter.
Balkan, with the introduction of Bozovic in the second quarter, did improve and managed to share the points in the same second quarter but the series was a foregone conclusion.
The margin was extended again after the half-time interval with Nathan Xuereb then making it a century score once again late in the match.