Two games characterised the weekend programme with Floriana MCP Car parks notching an important victory over BUPA Luxol, two sides eagerly vying the final play-off spot.
In another game, Gżira Athleta registered a hefty win over the reigning champions Hibs so that now there are three sides with seven wins although the Maroons have played an extra game.
Depiro, kept their slender play-off hopes alive, after they were handed a walkover over Balkan Fusion as the latter could not present enough players to start the game.
HIBERNIANS 70
GŻIRA ATHLETA 94
(13-18, 19-29, 20-27, 18-20)
Gżira Athleta registered their seventh league win to move one point clear of Hibernians and Starlites in the standings, albeit the latter two teams have a game in hand.
Through this win by a hefty margin, Gżira also got their revenge for the first round 68-79 to the reigning champions.
After a balanced first quarter, Sasa Dimitijevic’s boys started opening a margin as they replied in a strong manner when faced by Hibs’ zonal defence and a series of outside shots mixed with backdoor penetration plays, including an early 9-0 run in the second half, led them to a 62-32 lead which they then maintained till the final buzzer.
It was the Paolites who set off with an early lead after hoops from Luca Tardito, Alvaro Lizaur and Anton Axiaq, until three late baskets in the first quarter, at the opposite end through Connell Crossland and Julio Guity, had Gżira close off the first ten minutes of effective play 18-13 ahead.
The Maroons’ lead increased when play restarted moving to a 33-19 advantage midway in the second quarter.
Although Hibs tried to reply through Chad Patus and Ivan Demcesen, it was still Gżira who kept their noses firmly infront with treys from Peter Shoults, Nicola Vasovic and Vincent Pace helping them to a 15-point lead at the half way mark, 47-32.
At the start of the second half, Gżira surprised their opponents as their offensive plays against the opposing zone led them to a 15-2 stretch in four minutes with Pace and Crossland leading the way.
Hibs did react with a 12-point run to halve the deficit but Gżira did quickly recover some of their focus and went in for the last quarter enjoying a 74-52 lead.
The last ten minutes were a balanced affair but Gżira were able to administer their advantage with Pace continuing to notch a series of hoops on his way to a game high 31 points.
HIBERNIANS: R. Vella 7, P. Attard, K. Sultana, L. Farrugia, M. Formosa, I. Bonett, L. Tardito 16, A. Axiaq 10, M. Matijevic, A. Lizaur 13, I. Demcesen 9, C. Cuschieri Patus 15.
GŻIRA ATHLETA: N. Vasovic 8, C. Crossland 23, P. Shoults 5, L. Stefanovic, N. Xuereb 2, M. Gouder 9, V. Pace 31, J. Guity 16.
Referees: B. Vassallo, T. Mantere, K. Dworniczak.
BUPA LUXOL 74
FLORIANA MCP 79
(18-19, 18-22, 19-20, 19-18)
Five points separated the two sides in the first round encounter and it was again a Floriana MCP Car Park five-point win in the second round as the Greens took a decisive step to notch the fourth and final play-off spot.
Both sides started off the game with four respective wins in the standings and were aware that a victory would place them closer to the last remaining play-off berth and this led to a very balanced and tight game which could have gone either way. Floriana set off with an early Ian Theisen trey.
The American centre ended as the game’s top scorer with 34 points and was a continuous reference for his team-mates.
Luxol hit back immediately and long distance shots, from their impressive tally of 12 treys in the game, from Vukasin Jandric and Jean Paul Schembri had them 11-6 infront.
Although William Ahlberg grabbed another three-pointer for Luxol, Floriana managed to overturn the deficit with Gael Hulsen scoring three hoops and helping his side for a marginal 19-18 lead.
A Kieron Caruana trey extended Floriana’s lead to five points but Luxol, who had an important element, Keith Dimech, missing from the side, made quick amends as they brought the game at par, 31-31 following a brace of Jandric’s treys and a Jerrell Martin jumper.
A time-out called from Floriana’s mentor Kristin Baldacchino stopped Luxol’s positive momentum and with Theisen adding three close range buckets, the Greens went in for the half-time interval with a 41-36 advantage.
Ahlberg set off the play after the change of ends with a trey but Floriana again extended their lead after they outscored their opponents 9-2 in the next two minutes.
The game was still alive and once again Luxol came to merely a basket away, 50-52, only to be hit again with another Floriana 9-2 run and the end of the third quarter had the sides practically in the same waters vis-a-vis the margin, as they had started – 61-55.
All was to play for in the last rubber with Luxol, after a brace of Ahlberg three-pointers, coming once again just two points behind, 61-63 and later 65-67.
Here, Hulsen and David Bugeja scored important treys for the victors but Martin replied with five personal points at the other end for a marginal margin, 73-72, between the two sides and less than two minutes to the final buzzer.
Belgian Hulsen was again Floriana’s hero with key back-to-back buckets but Martin was then fouled on a three-point attempt at the other end and scored two of the resultant three free throws.
Enjoying a three-point lead in the final seconds, Floriana ascertained the victory with a brace of late Hulsen shots from the charity line, a win that placed them very close to the final play-off berth.
LUXOL: CJ Cordina 4, V. Jandric 23, J. Martin 18, P. Engelbert, J.P. Schembri 3, W. Ahlberg 18, M. Mercieca, F. Sekulic 2, D. Schembri 4, S. Cappello 2.
FLORIANA: S. Pace, D. Bugeja 9, S. Borg , K. Caruana 5, K. Liivamagi 3, I. Arias 4, I. Thiesen 34, K. Xuereb, G. Hulsen 24.
Referees: B. Vassallo, T. Mantere, K. Dworniczak.
STANDINGS: Gżira Athleta (7-3) 17; Starlites GIG (7-2) 16; Hibernians (7-2) 16; Floriana MCP Car Parks (5-4) 14; BUPA Luxol (4-6) 14; Depiro (3-7) 13; Balkan Fusion (0-9) 8.
Note: Balkan Fusion forfeit point due to walk over vs Depiro.