Enemalta Shield Nisa
Grupp A

Luxol 74 – Kerygma 29
(7-9, 18-11, 25-9, 24-0)

(TMI) Luxol made sure of the top placing in their group, obtaining a calm win over Kerygma, as Francesca Psaila Savona ran riot, pouring in her treys throughout the match. Kerygma had a bright patch at the end of the opening session and continued on in the next session, but then faded away, as Luxol established their dominance.
The Violets were leading after the first Psaila Savona trey, but Kerygma turned the score around till the end of the quarter, to lead by a single point, after a last second Renette Debono hoop. Kerygma went on against a hesitant Luxol side in the second session, to post their biggest lead, a 16-10 score, after treys from both sides. Mandy Sciortino then started off her points tally, and a 13-0 run was finished off with Justine Mangion points. Kerygma recovered a little at the end, but Luxol were still ahead at the interval, on a 25-20 score.
After the break Psaila Savona extinguished whatever hopes Kerygma had of making a comeback, as she put in three treys in a row. Kerygma did recover somewhat, they were still being tormented by Psaila Savona, and then Kirsten Micallef also came up with a couple of her treys, and after three sessions it was done and dusted, with a 50-29 score.
In the final quarter Kerygma were overwhelmed once more, and as had happened against Hibs, in their previous match, they went through a whole session without managing a single point. This time it was Lara Chetcuti and young Nicola Said who stole the honours for Luxol, with the latter also finding time to sink in a trey.

Luxol ghalqu l-impenji taghhom fi Grupp A bit-tielet rebha konsekuttiva wara success meritat fuq Kerygma, l-aktar bi prestazzjoni ferm superjuri fit-tieni taqsima nkluz l-ahhar perjodu fejn Kerygma ma thallewx jiskurjaw lanqas punt wiehed biss ghal skor totali tat-tieni taqsima ta’ 49-9 bil-player Francesca Psaila Savona tikseb 26 punt personali f’din l-istess taqsima.
L-ewwel perjodu kien ferm differenti ghaliex intemm b’Kerygma jgawdu vantagg ta’ 9-7 wara ghaxar minuti bil-baskets pjuttost skarsi. Ghalihom kien hemm erba’ punti minn Agnetha Agius.
Il-vantagg ta’ Kerygma tela’ ghal 16-10 wara punti mill-koppja Josette Calleja u Renette Debono. Hanwhekk, izda, Luxol bdew il-mument taghhom u seba’ punti wara xulxin minn Amanda Sciortino, wittewlhom it-triq ghal break ta’ 13-0 b’aktar punti minn Kirsten Micallef u Justine Mangion.
Madankollu xorta kien hemm distakk zghir fi tmiem l-ewwel taqsima, 25-20.
It-tieni taqisma bidet bi tliet 3-pointers konsekutitvi minn Psaila Savona u ftit mumenti wara, l-istess player kompliet b’seba’ punti ohra.
Ghalkemm Kerygma waqfu n-nixfa permezz ta’ Elaine Cutajar, Luxol komplew jidettaw il-loghob u tard fit-tielet pejrodu kienu 47-29 minn fuq.
Minn hawn sa tmiem il-loghba gara li Kerygma ma kisbux putn iehor waqt li Luxol ghalqu t-tielet perjodu bi 3-pointer minn Micallef u mbaghad kisbu 24 putn minghajr risposta fl-ahhar ghaxar minuti fejn minbarra Savona kien hemm ukoll kontribut miz-zghazagh b’erba’ baskets mic-centru Lara Chetcuti kif ukoll hames punti minn Nicola Said u freethrow finali ta’ Emma Moore.

Luxol: E. Moore 1, A. Sciortino 11, F Psaila Savona 30, L. Chetcuti 12, R. Spiteri 2, J. Mangion 3, D. Spiteri, K. Micallef 10, N. Said 5.
Kerygma: C. Spiteri, A. Zammit, A. Agius 4, J. Calleja 7, L. Cauchi 2, C. Spiteri, E. Cutajar 7, M. Caruana, M. Borg, R. Debono 9, C. Scicluna, A. Busutiil.
Refs: Emmanuel Mangani, Jean Paul Sammut

Hibs Medsea 74 – Sliema Wanderers 17
(23-8, 24-2, 15-3, 12-4)

(TMI) The Paola side had a resounding victory over the modest Sliema outfit, and it was a good day for the bench players, who tasted a good part of the match, due to the nature of the game. Besides the missing Nadia Mifsud, still abroad, Hibs also had Doreen Parnis absent for the match, although she was not really felt by her team mates, given the opposition they were facing.
The champions started at a fast pace, unnerving Sliema, who couldn't find any suitable defence to Hibs' game. Sliema found the way to basket only on sporadic occasions, as the Paolites ran up a good first session lead, to treat the rest of the match in a comfortable fashion.
In the second quarter Skiema were hit harder, as the Hibs side changed its formation, but still were much too good for their younger opponents, who had Vanya Busuttil back in action, after a long spell away from competitive play. After a 9-0 run, broken by a Lonike Calleja hoop, Hibs denied Sliema any other point till the end of the quarter, marking up another 15-0 run, so that at the interval it was trong 47-10 lead for the champions.
After the break Hibs started to tone down their hectic play, but Sliema were not allowed any openings in defence. The Paolites also found time to sink in a couple of treys, and extend their lead still further. After three sessions a 62-13 score favoured Hibs.
In the final quarter the exertions caught up with both teams, and Hibs had young Francesca Tabone to thank for, in increasing their lead in the first part of the session, when two treys opened the gap further, before Francesca Farrugia grabbed a couple of hoops for Sliema at the end. Hibs will meet Loyola in the semis when they will be played later on in the season.

Hibs ma tantx kellhom diffikulta sabiex jeghlbu lit-team modest ta’ Sliema biex accertaw ruhhom minn post fis-semifinali hekk kif din keinet it-tieni rebha taghhom minn tliet partiti.
Ir-rebbieha mill-bidu nett hadu r-riedni tal-loghob f’idejhom anke jekk Sleima ghamlu li setghu fl-ewwel perjodu fejn kellhom ukoll zewg baskets minn Michela Loporto.
Hibs bdew isibu t-trqi lejn il-basket avversarju b’konsistenza u fit-tieni perjodu kisbu wkoll zewg breaks sinjifikanti ta’ 9 u 15-il punt rispettivament ghal skor ta’ 47-10 fi tmiem l-ewwel taqisma. Maria Desira, Alexis Darmanin u Caroline Fenech qasmu 28 minn dawn il-punti bejniethom.
Ir-ritmu, ghalkemm b’Hisb dejje superjuri, naqas fit-tieni taqsima hekk kif kien hemm aktar loghob miftuh.

Hibs : C. Fenech 9, B. Zammit 9, F. Bianco 8, L. Bezzina 9, F. Tabone 7, M. Desira 10, A. Darmanin 15, S. Micallef 2, M. Cutajar 5.
Sliema: A. Cachia, V. Busuttil, A. Grixti 2, L. Calleja 2, L. Sciberras, M. Azzopardi, M. Loporto 5, S. Tabone 2, C. Galea, F. Farrugia 6, A. Sammut, J. Lentini.
Refs: Emmanuel Mangani, Jean Paul Sammut.

Enemalta Shield Nida
Grupp B

Loyola Xuereb Installations 66 – SN Suns JC 18
(23-4, 15-7, 15-2, 13-5)

(TMI) After their exertions, in their victory over Depiro, it was an easier match for Loyola, as they topped their group. They now meet Hibernians in the semi final. Suns played their usual wholehearted game, and Jenny Mizzi played her first seasonal game, after missing Suns' first match, against Depiro.
Loyola went out running straight from the start, and after just six seconds had already taken the lead, through the game's top scorer, Dorianne Galea. Suns did manage a couple of hoops in the opening quarter, but Loyola ended with a good 19-0 run, as they pressed their opponents for long periods.
In the second session Loyola changed their whole side on court, and their scoring rate dwindles somewhat. Suns managed to put in a trey, through Maria Busuttil, and Jenny Mizzi also got in among the points, but Loyola extended their advantage, to a 38-11 score at the interval.
After the break Suns again felt the brunt of Loyola's attacking plays. This time Suns could only force in a single hoop, as Loyola put in a 9-0 run in the latter stages of the quarter, to post a 53-13 score, after three sessions.
In the final period Loyola did not let up, and made an opening 10-0 run, before being halted with a second Suns trey, by Diane Falzon, which was part of a 5-0 run. The game ended with Dorianne Galea making a number of free shots, to end her contribution on a good note.

Loyola ma naqsux milli jiksbu rebha mistennija kontra SN Suns sabiex rebhu Grupp B u issa jiltaqghu kontra Hibs fis-semifinali waqt li fis-semifinali l-ohra Luxol jiffacjaw lil Depiro.
Bhall-loghba bejn Hibs u Sliema, Loyola mill-ewwel hadu l-loghba f’idejhom bi breaks inizzjali ta’ 9 u14-il punt rispettivament fejn kellhom lil Dorianne Galea li kisbet aktar minn nofs il-punti waqt li Denise Hollier ziedet seba’ ohra.
Suns, immexxija mill-habrieki Robert Camilleri, ippruvaw li jistghu u ghalkem kisbu xi punti minn Jenny Mizzi, Maria Busuttil u Cettina Caruana, ma setghux ilahhqu mas-superjorita ta’ l-avversarji li fit-tieni eprjodu kellhom kontribut ta’ 13-il punt mit-trio ta’ centres Adalia Bonanno, Kathleen Gouder u Abigail Azzopardi.
L-andament ma nbidilx fit-tieni taqsima b’Loyola jkomplu jzidu l-vantagg fejn anke kisbu 19-il punt minghajr risposta bejn tmiem it-tielet perjodu w il-bidu ta’ l-ahhar wiehed.

Loyola : M. Abela 2, D. Galea 23, A. Azzopardi 4, D. Bayliss 2, D. Hollier 9, F. Micallef 2, A. Bonanno 5, F. Schembri 2, A. Camilleri, S. Schembri Wismayer 7, S. Barbara 4, K. Gouder 6.
Suns : A. Camilleri, N. Buhagiar, C. Caruana 4, M. Agius, M. Busuttil 3, L. Cremona, J. Mizii 6, E. Granata, D. Falzon 5, R. Farrugia.
Refs : Emmanuel Mangani, Stephen Micallef