Gżira Athleta 83
Cynergi Depiro 66

(24-21, 24-8, 16-15, 19-22)

Buoyed by a strong second-quarter performance, Gżira Athleta kicked off their Knock-Out defence on a solid footing after defeating Cynergi Depiro to book their place in the semi-finals where they will face rivals Floriana MCP Car Parks.

Depiro paraded another import, D.J. Mason who is in his first season in pro basketball.

Being an U-23 player, Mason, who earlier this year played in Uruguay, joined the other American player Dominic Scafidi.

However, Spaniard Alvaro Quiros missed out for Depiro who were boosted by the return of David Bugeja.

Early three–pointers from David Camilleri and Roderick Vella gave Gżira an early 8-4 lead.

Despite Mason’s first hoops for his new side, Athleta extended their lead as the game’s top points-getter, Josiah Whitehead, started finding his range.

The gap came down to a solitary point, 28-27, in the third minute of the second quarter after Robert Bonnici and Mason netted points for Depiro.

In the next seven minutes of play, Gżira Athleta produced a 20-2 break as they were a cut above their opponents and went into the half-time break 48-29 ahead.

When the rubber resumed, Depiro started showing the better ideas and hoops from Bugeja and Mason helped them narrow the gap to 40-54 midway into the third quarter as Gżira Athleta called for an early time-out.

This technical stoppage helped Athleta regain their touch as they replied with a 10-2 run until the end of the quarter to re-open a 20-point margin, 64-44.

Depiro still battled on and tried to fight their way back into the game when an Andrew Aquilina basket made it 60-72 with only two minutes left.

A Gżira Athleta trey, through Zammit, at the other end closed off the game.

The match finished with Camilleri netting six consecutive free-shots after Depiro coach Paul Ferrante was ejected for two technical fouls due to dissent in the dying moments.

Gżira Athleta: M. Naudi 17, R. Vella 9, D. Camilleri 11, L. Stefanovic, P. Shoults 13, F. Mifsud Bonnici, B. Zammit 3, J. Bos, S. Vincic, M. Gauci Montaldo, J. Whitehead 30.

Depiro: J. Attard, D. Bugeja 17, R. Bonnici 10, D. Schembri, A. Aquilina 7, N. Grech, T. Zammit, M. Mallia, D.J. Mason 16, K. Xuereb 8, M. Borg, D. Scafidi 8.

Refs: B. Vassallo, C. Farrugia, I. Marjanovic.

Hibernians 69
Bupa Luxol 64

(18-23, 18-14, 19-12, 14-15)

These two sides met for the first time this season with Hibernians having the better of their opponents to book a place in the BOV Knock-Out semis where they will face Starlites Naxxar.

Luxol filed a protest after the game, contesting the registration, as a Maltese player, of Hibs’ pivot Marko Matijevic.

In fact, the Paolites fielded Matijevic as a Maltese player as they also had Italian Fabrizio Mariani and Spaniard Alvaro Alarcon Lizaur in their team.

The opening minutes were tight until Luxol had a 12-2 run with shots from beyond the long distance arc from American Pierce Cumpstone and Dutchman William Ahlberg to go 20-11 ahead.

However, Hibs closed off the first quarter with Matijevic and Lizaur on target from close range and then started the second quarter with two treys, including one from Simon Attard, to take a 24-23 lead.

The next four minutes saw a 10-point Luxol run with Stefan Capello netting a brace of baskets.

But Hibs’ reaction was almost immediate, so that the first half ended with only a single point separating the two sides, 37-36 for the Violets.

Luxol had a good start after the break and a J.P. Schembri shot from downtown put them 44-38 in the lead. A 12-2 run for Hibs in the next four minutes overturned the result in their favour and although Cumpstone converted a three-point play, another trey from Farrugia and a Matijevic hoop put Hibs 55-49 ahead with 10 minutes to play.

With four minutes to go, Hibs extended their lead to double digits, 63-52, including a basket from their new signing Adrian Micallef.

Luxol upped their defensive pressure, forcing Hibs to commit a number of turnovers which were duly converted by Luxol, mainly through Cumpstone, and the issue remained wide open.

With three points separating the two sides, Luxol squandered their last possession with a turnover and Hibs sealed victory with a Matijevic basket from very close range just before the shot clock buzzer.

Hibernians: P. Attard, M. Hampton, M. Matijevic 21, L. Farrugia 8, S. Attard 5, I. Bonett, R. Carabott, K. Sultana, S. Vella, F. Mariani, A. Alarcon Lizaur 32, A. Micallef  3.

Luxol: C.J. Cordina 5, M. Mercieca, J. Willoughby, D. Meli, J. Maistre Melillo, J.P. Schembri 3, K. Dimech 5, W. Ahlberg 4, P. Cumpstone 34, S. Capello 13.

Refs: B. Vassallo, G. Barbara, I. Marjanovic.

Semi-finals line-up
January 8: Starlites vs Hibernians; Floriana MCP Car Parks vs Gzira Athleta.

Women’s League

Depiro 51
Gżira Athleta  65

(13-10, 15-19, 15-19, 8-17)

Depiro: A. Mifsud, G. Mifsud 4, N. Agius, S. Brincat 22, M. Bonett 12, C. Camilleri 2, M. Balzaraviciute, M. Scicluna, M. Micallef, H. Acreman 2, M. Demartino 6, C. Ciantar 3.

Gżira Athleta: M. Stefanovic 12, C. Grima 10, J. Schembri, L. Sciberras 9, A. Simmons 22, D. Said Hollier 4, A. Borg 6, S. Vella 2, E. Pace, C. Mifsud.

Refs: C. Farrugia, I. Marjanovic.

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