Kerygma 53 – Depiro 45
(10-9, 30-15, 41-31)

Kerygma wettqu l-akbar sorpriza sa issa fil-kampjonat femminili meta ghelbu lit-team aktar ikkwotat minnhom Depiro bit-tieni perjodu tal-loghba jkun l-aktar wiehed importanti ghalihom.
L-ewwel perjodu kien bilancjat bir-rebbieha jaghlqu 10-9 minn fuq fejn kellhom zewg 3-pointers konsekuttivi minn Josette Calleja u basket kull wiehed ghal Elaine Cutajar u Lara Cauchi.
Depiro kienu fethu b’basket minn Abigail Sciberras segwit minn punti ohra ta’ zghazagh ohra Greta Zarb, Joselle Cardona u Rachel Camilleri.
Il-ftuh tat-tieni perjodu kien dominat minn Kerygma hekk kif huma kisbu run ferm influwenzali ta’ 11-2 b’Renette Debono tikseb l-ewwel punti taghha fil-loghba.
Fl-ahhar battuti tat-taqsima, Kerygma komplew ikabbru l-vantagg hekk kif Calleja u Mopira Caruana kisbu 3-pointer rispettiv ghal 30-15. Depiro dehru lim se jirrimontaw hekk kif fethu t-tieni taqisma bi break ta’ 10-0 b’Zarb u Camilleri precizi ghal 25-30 izda gara li Kerygma waqfu n-nixfa temporarja u rrispondew bi tmein punti minghajr risposta sabiex rega kien hemm distakk b’figura doppja bejn ioz-zewg nahat, 38-25.
Dan id-distakk baqa pjuttost konsistenti sat-tieni minuta fl-ahhar perjodu ghal 45-33. Hawnhekk Depiro dehru gejjin f’taghhom meta b’seba’ punti konsekuttivi fethu l-loghba ghal 45-40 izda zewg baskets wara xulxin minn Debono taw nifs qawwi lil Kerygma li baqghu sejrin sabiex rebhu l-partita.

Depiro were thoroughly shocked in this encounter, as Kerygma, playing a good match, and keeping calm in the most important phase, registered their first ever win against their highly fancied opponents, and also handing them their first league defeat in four matches.
Depiro were overconfident at the start, and didn't heed their coach, as he told them to give their opponents the due respect, and they paid the bitter price. Depiro had several players missing, Claire Hawkins, Rhian Spiteri, Sarah Pace, Marika Micallef and Abigail Muscat, but veteran Madeleine Demartino turned out for them for the first time this season.
After an initial hoop by Greta Zarb for Depiro, it was Kerygma who made the running, and a double trey strike by Josette Calleja helped her side to a lead, which they kept till the end of the quarter.
Depiro recovered right at the end, with a Rachel Camilleri trey, for her side to go to within a point. In the second session things got worse for Depiro. Renette Debono shot out from the starting blocks, with a personal 7-0 run. Depiro stopped this, but Calleja and Debono went on increasing Kerygma's lead. It was left to Raquel Camenzuli to obtain points for Depiro, but they were hit yet again by two other treys, by Calleja and Moira Caruana, as Kerygma finished the quarter with another 7-0 run, for a surprising 30-15 score, a low, negative one for Depiro.
After the break Depiro made a strong opening, with a 10-0 run, cutting down heavily on their deficit. Kerygma recovered sufficiently, as they managed an 8-0 run of their own, startling Depiro once more, in a 38-25 favourable lead.
Depiro replied till the end of the session, but they were not too convincing, and after three sessions Kerygma were still able to hold a 41-31 lead. In the final quarter Kerygma were able to hold on, and forcing depiro into hurried play.
The scoring was falling away as Depiro desperately tried to make up the leeway. For Kerygma Renette Debono made the telling hoops, adding on their lead enough so that the last two Depiro treys, by Zarb and Charlotte Riolo, proved to be useless. The time ran out quickly, and Kerygma strode through for one of the most clamourous results in the women's league for quite some years.

Kerygma : C. Spiteri, A. Zammit 3, A. Agius, J. Calleja 18, L. Cauchi 2, C. Spiteri, E. Cutajar 7, M. Caruana 3, M. Borg, R. Debono 20, A. Farrugia, A. Busuttil.
Depiro: R. Camenzuli 4, C. Riolo 4, G. Zarb 13, J. Cardona 6, R. Falzon 4, R. Camilleri 10, C. Hawkins, A. Sciberras 2, E. Vella, M. Demartino 2.
Refs: Jean Paul Sammut, Jennifer Mangani

Loyola Xuereb Intallations 46 – Sliema Wanderers 32
(4-13, 17-15, 25-24)

Sliema cedew fl-ahhar perjodu wara li kienu hasdu lill-avversarji fl-ewwel parti tal-loghba. Loyola ddizappuntaw kemmxejn f’dan il-konfront fejn dehru li hassew sew in-nuqqas ta’ Dorianne Galea li kienet nieqsa mill-iskwadra u ssemma wkoll xi dubju fuq il-futur taghha.
Tliet baskets minn Francesca Farrugia u 3-pointer ta’ Maroushka Azzopardi ghenu lit-team imexxi minn Anne Jetcheva ghal vantagg ta’ 13-2. Il-koppja Sandra Schembri Wismayer u Kathleen Gouder ikkombinaw bejniethom u dahhlu lil Loyola lura fil-loghba ghal 12-13 u sa tmiem l-ewwel taqsima Loyola kienu 17-15 minn fuq wara zewg baskets wara xulxin minn Sammy Jo Barbara.
Tul it-tielet perjodu Sliema baqghu jzommu kunttat ferm mill-vicin b’Farrugia u Chanel galea jaqsmu 8 punti bejniethom. Bl-iskor ikun wiehed strett ta’ 27-26 kmieni fl-ahhar perjodu, Loyola wettqu break importanti, mibdi minn Ann Camilleri, ta’ 10-0, liema break accertahom mir-rebha finali hekk kif Sliema ma kellhomx cans jirrimontaw hekk tard fil-loghba.

Loyola left it till the last session, to take the match fully in hand, steer clear of their opponents, and make sure of the win.
Their performance till then could only be termed as fractionally better than Sliema, but the latter were always close enough to spring a surprise. At the end they had to bow down, as Loyola mad the match their own, for their thirs win in four matches. Loyola were without Dorianne Galea, whilst Sliema included their new signing, Sara Vella Bonnici.
Loyola had a woeful start, as Sliema, full of enthusiasm, exploited their opponents' inefficient play, and go in front. They kept their lead comfortably throughout the session, closing down their score with an Azzopardi Duca trey. Schembri Wismayer grabbed Loyola's first hoop, after their initial free throws.
In the second quarterLoyola improved, and started their way back into the game. An 8-0 run, with baskets by Gouder and Schembri Wismayer, made it a one-point game. Sliema's leanne sciberras stopped the run, in her side's only contribution to the session. Loyola took the game in hand again, and further points gave them the lead for the first time in the match. The halftime score was a low 17-15.
After the break Loyola didn't keep up the pressure, and Sliema could stay close throughout the whole session. Soon after the start Loyola managed a 23-18 lead, but Francesca Farrugia was on hand for Sliema, with her personal points, and once more it was one-point game. Baskets at both ends ensured a minimal 25-24 Loyola lead, with three sessions of play gone.
The final quarter was the turning point. Loyola could finally control the situation, and fast breaks were decisive. A 10-0 run midway htrough the session put Loyola clear of their opponents, and they could breathe easier. It was hard on Sliema, after their generous game, and Loyola weren't too pleased with their performance, despite the win, and the final margin of Sliema's defeat.

Loyola: M. Abela, A. Azzopardi 4, C. Gauci, D. Hollier 8, F. Micallef, A. Bonanno 7, F. Schembri 4, A. Camilleri 5, S. Schembri Wismayer 8, S. Barbara 4, K. Gouder 6. Sliema: A. Cachia, S. Tabone, A. Grixti 2, L. Calleja 3, L. Sciberras 4, M. Azzopardi 3, M. Loporto, D. McKeon 4, C. Galea 4, F. Farrugia 12, S. Vella Bonnici, J. Lentini.
Refs: Stephen Micallef, Jennifer Mangani

Hibs Medsea 71 – SN Suns JC Electrical Contractors 15
(20-6, 39-6, 46-8)
Hibs kisbu r-raba’ rebha fil-kampjonat u bit-telfa ta’ Depiro issa huma jinsabu wahedhom fil-quccata tal-klassifika. Kontra SN Suns, Hibs ma kellhomx diffikulta hekk kif kienu nettament superjuri fejn anke rebhu t-tieni perjodu 19-0.
Maria Desira kellha xalata b’24 punt personali, l-aktar fl-ewwel u fl-ahhar perjodu waqt li zaghzugha ohra, Francesca Bianco kisbet 14-il punt. Minn naha ta’ Suns kien hemm debutt ghal Ann Marie Battari li rnexxielha tikseb basket f’nofs l-ahhar perjodu.

The champions are now sole leaders, after their fourth straight win, and after Depiro's debacle at the hands of Kerygma, two days before. The Paolites had a very easy time against the league's bottom side, and their bench players had a field day, playing for the major part of the match. Suns were without Jenny Mizzi, and included new signing, Anne Marie Battari. Hibs had Stephanie Debono, from Depiro, in their side.
An opening 8-0 run, with Maria Desira very active, started Hibs off. Petra Zammit stopped the run, but the Paolites promptly put in another 8-0 run, with treys by both Francescas, Bianco and Tabone.
Suns recovered slightly, but were hit towards the end of the session, as the champions increased their lead. The second quarter saw Hibs in full cry, denying Suns any occasion of making points. Lucienne Bezzina sank another trey, and was prominent with her points, as Suns suffered Hibs' constant intrusions in their zone.
By the time that the halftime buzzer sounded Suns had fallen drastically behind, on a 6-39 score. The break didn't seem long enough for both teams, and the scoring rate was pitiful at both ends, and with accumulated points from both teams counted on both hands. This time Suns obtained a solitary hoop, through Maria Busuttil.
The Paolites increased their lead slightly, for a 46-8 score, after three sessions of pley. Hibs responded in the final quarter, finding their scoring touch once again. Desira and Bianco grabbed the lion's share of their side's points. and with Tabone pitching in with a another trey, Suns also had their share of the play, with points midway through the session, and Busuttil sinking her hoops at the end of the match.

Hibs: C. Fenech 2, B. Zammit 4, F. Bianco 14, L. Bezzina 8, F. Tabone 6, M. Desira 24, D. parnis, S. Debono 4, S. Micallef, M. Cutajar 9.
Suns: A. Battari 2, A. Camilleri, N. Buhagiar, C. Caruana, P. Zammit 2, M. Agius 6, M. Busuttil 2, L. Cremona, L. Pace, E. Granata 1, D. Falzon 2, R. Farrugia.
Refs: Emmanuel Mangani, Alfred Carbonaro