Gżira Athleta 69
Caffe Moak Luxol 69
(Gżira Athleta win series 126-115)
Caffe Moak Luxol showed resolve at times during the second leg and even managed to take a temporary lead on aggregate only for Gżira Athleta to hit back strongly, especially in the final moments of the game.
The first quarter was balanced with Luxol taking an early lead but Gżira Athleta, missing their Serbian guard Milica Stefanovic due to suspension, never allowed their opponents to move clear.
The first-game deficit was cancelled out by Luxol in the second quarter which they dominated to win 22-9 thanks to their shooting prowess. They changed ends 37-23 for an aggregate three-point lead, 83-80.
A seven-point run early in the second half boosted Gżira Athleta’s confidence.
Despite long-distance shots from Sarah Pace and Paula Ellul for Luxol, it was Athleta, with Amelia Simmons much in the action, who regained the overall lead by the end of the third quarter.
Luxol did not let go and a 9-0 run, aided by Steffi Demartino’s points, put them back in front but the final minutes of the game belonged to Gżira Athleta as baskets from Christina Grima and Simmons overturned Luxol’s game lead.
The match ended even, 69-69, only permitted in basketball in two-legged ties, but Gżira Athleta
progressed to the competition’s final 126-115 on aggregate.
Gżira Athleta: C. Grima 16, M. Pollacco, S. Pisani, L. Sciberras 10, A. Simmons 26, D. Said Hollier 10, A. Borg, J. Schembri, S. Vella 7, E. Pace, C. Mifsud
Luxol: S. Pace 9, B. Zammit 6, M. Mercieca 10, I. Baena Medina, M. Darmanin, S. DeMartino 17, K. Portelli, A. Calleja, P. Ellul 8, N. Vella , L. Lessard 10, C. Curmi 8
Referees: C. Farrugia, B. Sly
Depiro 49
Starlites Naxxar 50
(Starlites win series 108-97)
Facing a 10-point deficit from the first game, Depiro did their best to get back into contention and came close to doing so at times but Starlites found their way to distance themselves again on aggregate score.
The two sides shared the spoils in the first quarter with Samantha Brincat leading her Depiro team, also helped by points from Maria Bonett, to an early advantage.
Starlites’ reply came shortly afterwards at the other end through Josephine Grima and Spaniard Patricia Arguello.
A seven-point run in the second quarter brought Depiro extremely close on aggregate but Starlites managed to regain their lead over two ties with a late 9-2 counter run and a 26-24 scoreline at the interval.
A tit-for-tat ensued when play resumed with Depiro’s initial 7-0 break immediately neutralised with an 8-0 run at the other end.
Starlites also maintained the lead at 39-34, 10 minutes from time.
Depiro did manage, in the last quarter, to tie the second game but the clock was now totally in Starlites’ favour as they could sit on their first-game lead.
Try as they might, Depiro’s points were cancelled out by Starlites who celebrated their passage to the final at the buzzer.
Depiro: A. Mifsud, G. Mifsud 5, M. Balzaraviciute, S. Brincat 18, M. Bonett 10, C. Camilleri 4, N. Agius 3, M. Scicluna, H. Acreman 1, T. DeMartino 4, C. Ciantar 4.
Starlites: D. Revol, K. Galea, J. Doughty 3, S. Farrugia 7, K. Pirotta 3, J. Micallef 1, J. Grima 11, P. Arguello 13, E. Magrin, S. Davies 8, A. Lupo 4.
Referees: G. Barbara, E. Ozpolat.