Luxol bring home the Shield
MBA Shield Men 1 Div. - Final:
Compleet IS SW 58 Bupa 65
(16-16)(12-16)(18-9)(12-24)
The season's first honour went Bupa's way, as they
overcame an opening deficit, and surmounted a second
one, at the start of the last quarter, to land their
sixth Shield win, after a lapse of three years. They
lasted the match better than their opponents, who
were shocked in the last session, and conceded a
large break, which they couldn't put right. It was a
tense final at first, but an intriguing one, which
satisfied the crowd present, with the fare
presented.
It was Compleet with the better start, and a 7-2
run, with points by Michael Naudi and Silvio Cassar.
treys at both ends, Naudi again and Robert Azzopardi
for Bupa, then saw Compleet holding on to their
lead, before Bupa began to find each other
accurately. They tied the score twice, before the
end of the period, with both teams very wary of each
other.
In the second session there still wasn't anything to
choose from both sides. It was Bupa who had to
endure Compleet's advantage for some time, after an
opening Omar Said trey. Steve Schembri was having a
great time, at both ends, and Marco Matijevic was
the getting the better of play in the zone, to put
the Violets in front. Etienne Bezzina's hoops
weren't enough for Compleet, and at the interval it
was Bupa 32-28 ahead.
After the break Bupa went further in front, but a
Baldacchino trey for Compleet was quickly followed
by a second Azzopardi trey at the other end.
Compleet started to get the better of things, and an
8-2 run, ending with a second Naudi trey, tied the
score, at 39-39. Bupa went in front again, but
Compleet were playing confidently, going ahead with
a 7-0 run, to finish the session on a favourable
46-41 score.
In the final quarter Bupa came roaring back, and
Matijevic points, including a fast break dunk,
helped the Violets to regain the lead. Their run
went up to a double-figure break, at 12-0, only
being stopped by a Duncan Cuschieri trey, but
Azzopardi did the same for Bupa, as they grimly held
on, despite Compleet's frantic press. Compleet had
to make their last effort, with time running out,
but it was not to be, as Bupa played out the
remaining time, to emerge victorious, and avenge
their earlier Shield defeat by Compleet, at the
start of the season.
After the match Bupa made merry after being awarded
the MBA Shield, with captain, Robert Azzopardi being
handed the Shield by MBA president, Mag. Antonio
Mizzi
Compleet: 16 M. Naudi, J. Zammit, C. Calleja, 4 E.
Bezzina, J. Galea, T. Riolo, 11 O. Said, 9 A.
Micallef, 5 D. Cuschieri, 6 K. Baldacchino, 7 S.
Cassar, R. Mifsud
Bupa: M. Mercieca, 15 R. Azzopardi, M. Micallef, 5
A. Borg, A. Bianchi, M. Bonnici, T. Paris, 6 D.
Schembri, E. Caruana Montaldo, 25 M. Matijevic, 14
S. Schembri
Referees: Bernard Vassallo, Jean Paul Sammut
Bupa win Super Cup
Compleet IS SW 70 Bupa 85
(8-15)(27-19)(11-27)(24-24) Bupa collected their second seasonal
honour, again defeating Compleet, for their sixth
success in this competition, in eleven finals. They
took an early lead, which they kept till the second
quarter, when they went behind, minimally, on three
occasions. in the last two sessions they regained
their advantage, and kept in front till the end of
the encounter, to make sure of the silverware, and
make it two wins out of three against Compleet this
season.
Compleet recovered Etienne Bezzina, back after the
birth of his son, Jake.
Bupa began with a 5-0 burst, only for Compleet to
pull two hoops back. Dirk Schembri was in good form
under the boards, as Bupa went 9-4 in front. Michael
Naudi and Silvio Cassar were Compleet's scorers, but
Matijevic made free shots for Bupa, who ended the
session with a Robert Azzopardi trey, extending
their lead.
In the second quarter Compleet went to within a
basket, at 13-15, but Bupa had a good reply, with
treys by Steve Schembri and Matijevic, in an 8-2
run. Bupa kept their lead for some time, but
Compleet compiled an 8-0 run, as Bezzina sank two
hoops, to go in front. Bupa recovered, with a 7-2
run of their own, and an Alan Borg trey, to overturn
the score. The session didn't end there, as Naudi's
points, including a glorious last second trey, from
the opposite side of the court, gave Compleet a
35-34 halftime lead, but also having lost Silvio
Cassar on fouls.
After the break Bupa caught Compleet cold, with
Azzopardi sinking two treys, in an 8-0 run. Compleet
tried to recover, even though Naudi was given
special attention by Bupa. The latter stitched
together a 7-0 run, with some fine collective play.
It was left to Naudi to obtain his side's points,
but at the other end there was Dirk Schembri to keep
Bupa's lead, with his team mates extending it to a
61-46 advantage, after three sessions.
The final quarter saw Compleet begin the long way
back, with their free shots, only for Azzopardi to
sink two more treys, and restore Bupa's handsome
lead. at 70-52. As if that was not enough, Azzopardi
made his sixth trey, and Michael Naudi was ejected
for dissent. Bupa went further ahead, and although
Compleet came back at the end, with treys by Bezzina
and Baldacchino, in a 10-2 run, it was a lost cause,
and in the final moments Azzopardi crowned a superb
performance, with yet another trey, to set the seal
on another honour winning match.
After the game MBA's vice president, Joe Depasquale
Schranz, presented the Super Cup to Robert
Azzopardi, as Bupa celebrated their second honour,
after a lapse of just ten days.
Compleet: 31 M. Maudi, J. Zammit, C. Calleja, 6 E.
Bezzina, J. Galea, 1 T. Riolo, 13 O. Said, 6 A.
Micallef, I. Buldakov, 6 K. Baldacchino, 7 S.
Cassar, R. Mifsud
Bupa: 2 M. Mercieca, 25 R. Azzopardi, M. Micallef, 5
A. Borg, A. Bianchi, M. Bonnici, T. Paris, 21 D.
Schembri, E. Caruana Montaldo, 18 M. Matijevic, 14
S. Schembri
Hamrun crowned Kinnie League
champions!! Hamrun Go Mobile were last night crowned Kinnie
League champions for the second time in their history after beating Pembroke
71-66 in game four of the play-off final to complete a 3-1 series win.
The match turned out to be a balanced affair with Hamrun taking a
seven-point advantage at the interval, 36-29. Pembroke came back strongly
and managed to cancel Hamrun's advantage and go one point ahead, 42-41, five
minutes into the third session.
Alfred Mifsud's team soon regrouped themselves and Omar Said potted ten
consecutive points at the start of the final quarter to put them 62-49
ahead. Pembroke, led by top scorer Michael Naudi with an impressive 42
points, tried to hit back but failed to redress the imbalance as Hamrun held
on for their first league title since 1985.
