National League: Hibernians crowned champions with a 3-1 finals series win over Gzira Athleta - May 21, 2018
BOV Men Final Series Game 1
A crucial nine minute spell hands Gzira Athleta an initial lead in the final series Hibernians 75 - Gzira Athleta 88 (21-14, 16-25, 18-25, 20-24)
The first rubber in the 2018 BOV Final Series, played on a best-of-five format, ended with a Gzira Athleta victory. This success materialised mostly in a nine minute spell, divided between the end of the third and the start of the fourth quarter when Gzira Athleta moved from a 3 point deficit to a 15 point lead after a 31-13 run to go 72-57 ahead with seven minutes to go. The start of the match had Hibs nailing four earlt three pointers, a brace from Chad Patus (203-F-87, college: Belm.Abbey) and one each from Roderick Vella (180-PG-85) and Alavaro Lizaur with Gzira Athleta having early hoops from Peter Shoults. Although Omar Said and Ivan Mitrovic had a long distance shot each, the first quarter still ended with Hibs in the lead even after Lizaur notched his second trey on the day for 21-14. Two further 3 pointers helped Hibs extend to their maximum lead in the game, eleven points, for 27-16. Athleta managed to reply strongly with Jon Feiler (203-F) being active under the boards at both ends and even managed to nose marginally infront at 30-29 only for Hibs to hit back with two futher Lizaur triples and Marko Matijevic free throws. Michael Naudi (193-G/F-80) sprung up on the offensive end and nine personal points helped Gzira Athleta change sides 39-37 in the lead. Three minutes into the second half, hoops from Matijevic and Patus had Hibs regain the lead, albeit for the last time, at 44-41. Said got Athleta going with two treys and together with Feiler, Naudi and Mitrovic the maroons started distancing themselves to a 72-57 advantage two minutes into the final quarter. With time running out, Hibs attemnpted their last effort and Luca Tarito and Patus brought down the deficit to a single figure as Athleta lost Feiler on fouls. Mitrovic and Shoults came up with important treys when Hibs were increasing their pressure and when Hibs opted to stop the clock, Gzira made sure of the victory from the charity line. The second game will be played today at 6.30pm.
Hibs: R. Vella 3, P. Attard, K. Sultana, L. Farrugia, S. Attard 2, I. Bonett, L.Tardito 7, A. Axiaq 6, M. Matijevic 15, A. Lizaur 23, F. Mariani, C. Patus 19 Gzira Athleta: M. Naudi 18, B. Zammit, K. Liivamagi, P. Shoults 7, L. Stefanovic, F. Mifsud Bonnici, O. Said 21, M. Gouder, N. Xuereb, S. Vincic, I. Mitrovic 20, J. Feiler 22 Referees: B. Vassallo, G. Barbara, T. Mantere
BOV National League 2018 Play-Offs Final Series (best of 5) Game 2
Gzira Athleta 59 - Hibernians 67 (10-16, 12-11, 15-19, 22-21)
A low scoring second game in the 2018 Finals resulted in a Hibs' victory which brought a tie in the best-of-five series. Both teams were not as precise as in the first game with Hibs having that slight edge in accuracy and rebounds to snatch the win. The fist of Alavaro Lizaur's three treys in the game gave Hibs their first slender lead at 9-4. The Paolites in fact enjoyed a lead in almost all the game save a brief stretch in the second quarter. Gzira Athleta did hit back in the intial stages with hoops from Jon Feiler and Michael Naudi and managed to tie the game at 16-16 with a strong start to the second period and Feiler scoring three consecutive baskets. The same import player gave his team a lead four minutes later when he converted a free throw from two for 19-18. Gzira Athleta were not so precise from the charity line in this final as they missed more than half of their 21 free throws. Hibs' reply was a 9-2 run with Chad Patus and Lizaur the scorers so that they moved towards a half time lead of 27-22. The crux moment in the second half arrived midway in the third quarter when with the score 32-28, Hibs significantly extended their lead to double figures with a 13-2 run with treys from Roderick Vella and Luke Farrugia (181-G/F-97) as well as hoops from Marko Matijevic for a 45-30 score with 12 minutes to go and forcing Gzira to call two early second half time-outs. Gzira Athleta introduced Matthew Gouder (194-F-98) who managed to find the path to the opposing basket and his close range hoops and an Ivam Mitrovic trey, the only one for his team on the day, helped Gzira Athleta to reduce the margin to a single digit, 37-46, at the end of the third quarter. Further Gouder and Feiler baskets and a Nathan Xuereb (171-SF-01) reverse lay-up brought Gzira to 5 points away midway in the last session but a triple respectively from Lizaur and Farrugia boosted Hibs to open another double digit lead 61-51 with less than two minutes to the final buzzer. Yet it was not agme over as Gzira Athleta made a last ditch attempt and Feiler led his side to 59-63 with the clock going into its last rotation. Time was in Hibs' favour and with Gzira stopping the clock, Patus and Matijevic converted their last sets of free throws to ascertain thier team's triumph. The third game in the Finals Series will be played on Sunday with a tip-off at 4.15pm.
Gzira Athleta: M. Naudi 7, B. Zammit, K. Liivamagi, P. Shoults 2, L. Stefanovic, F. Mifsud Bonnici, O. Said 7, M. Gouder 11, N. Xuereb 2, S. Vincic, I. Mitrovic 7, J. Feiler 23 Hibs: R. Vella 10, P. Attard, K. Sultana, L. Farrugia 6, S. Attard, I. Bonett, L.Tardito, A. Axiaq 2, M. Matijevic 9, A. Lizaur 24, F. Mariani 1, C. Patus 15 Referees: B. Vassallo, E. Mangani, Z. Dobrosavljevic
BOV Men League 2018 Play-Offs Final Series (best of 5) Game 3
Hibs find their mark from long range and take a 2-1 lead
Hibernians 87 - Gzira Athleta 79 (28-15, 19-22, 16-20, 24-22)
Hibs made it back-to-back victories in the final series as they managed to win the third game and now are 2-1 ahead after Gzira Athleta had won the initial rubber in this final series. One of the main factors in Hibs' success in the third game was undoubtedly their long range shooting precision. Jon Feiler set the game going with a brace of personal hoops in the first minute with Hibs immediately hitting back with their first two treys in the game through Chad Patus and Alavaro Lizaur. The Paolites had a good percentage in long distance shots in this game with a total of 15 treys from 30 attempts. Respective baskets from Michael Naudi and Peter Shoults brought down the margin momentarly to a solitary point midway in he first quarter, 12-11, only for Hibs to register their first major run in the game, 19-4, with Patus doing most of the offensive damage as they opened a 31-15 lead. A nine point Gzira run gave them fresh hope as they reduced the deficit and forced Hibs to call a timeout. From then till the half time buzzer both sides replied to each other's offensive ploys with Hibs having more treys from Patus as well as a late one from Fabrizio Mariani whilst Gzira had Feiler still being the main target man with help from Ivan Mitrovic, Matthew Gouder and Naudi. Ten points separated the two finalists at the interval 47-37. Midway in the third quarter Hisb managed to extend their lead to 60-47 following triples from Luke Farrugia and Roderick Vella yet treys, at the other end, from Nathan Xuereb helped Gzira Athleta to gnaw into the deficit in the following minutes to make it an open game going into the last quarter. All was to play for in the last ten minutes as an early push by Gzira Athleta clsoed down the margin to just one point and despite more treys form Hibs, the Gzira side regained the lead after 34 minutes when a brace of Feiler hoops followed a Xuereb trey for 74-73 and four minutes to go. A minute later Naudi was out with five fouls and Hibs made a decisive step towards the win with nine consecutive points, in two minutes, through Lizaur and Matijevic. Gzira Athleta tried to recoup their efforts whilst also calling three quick timeouts but time was in Hibs' favour as a Mitrovic and a Gouder basket for Gzira were quickly neutralized by a Patus triple and final Lizaur points from the charity line as the Paolites made it 2-1 in the final series. Pressure will now be on Gzira Athleta in the fourth game which will be played tomorrow at 7.30pm. A win for Hibs will had them the championship crown after a lapse of 28 years whilst a win for Gzira Athleta would mean a 2-2 tie in the series and the need for a deciding match on Sunday.
Hibs: R. Vella 14, P. Attard, K. Sultana, L. Farrugia 6, S. Attard, I. Bonett, L.Tardito, A. Axiaq, M. Matijevic 13, A. Lizaur 18, F. Mariani 3, C. Patus 33. Gzira Athleta: M. Naudi 18, B. Zammit, K. Liivamagi, P. Shoults 4, L. Stefanovic, F. Mifsud Bonnici, O. Said 2, M. Gouder 4, N. Xuereb 11, S. Vincic, I. Mitrovic 9, J. Feiler 31. Referees: T. Mantere, N. Azzopardi, I. Simic
BOV National League Men 2018 Finals Series Game 4
Hibs win the 2018 title: the fourth in history and the fourth honour this season
Gzira Athleta 63 - Hibernians 75 (10-25, 23-11, 10-16, 20-23)
A strong start to the game, keeping the opponents at bay and having them only score their first basket after 8 minutes of play, psychologically paved the way for Hibs to register their third win on the trot in the BOV 2018 final series and thereby being crowned the national league champions for the fourth time in history. The Paolites last won in the league 28 years ago after having won three titles in a row between 1988 and 1990 as Paola Stars. This was also Hibs' fourth honour this season after victories in the BOV KO, the Borg Cup and the SJH Shield. The final series had set off with Gzira Athleta winning the first rubber. In fact Hibs' coach Mario Tabone stated 'we won the last three games because we improved a lot in defence following our poor show in the first game. The winning of the championship plus the three other cups was mainly due to the chemistry of the team . Each player supported one another, even those that did not have muchchance to play.' It was in fact strong defence that set Hibs going to open a 14-1 lead after six minutes with three treys off the hands of Alavaro Lizaur and Roderick Vella who shared 32 points between them. The Spanish power forward Lizaur admitted that the final series was difficult given the strength of the adversaries, 'what made the difference was our intensity on both sides of the court. It has not been an easy season since we had new players on our roster but we trained really hard and we absolutely deserved thsi championship'. For Vella this was his first ever championship win, 'it is an amazing feeling to win my first ever championship. It was a great team effort all throughout the series and season. We showed great composure and unity as we battled our way to success after a bad loss in game one. I think it was a deserved outcome for what we showed throughout the season. A big thanks to the Hibs committee for the hard work and all the fans that followed us throughout the season.' Gzira Athleta netted their first action basket in the 8th minute but were still 10-27 behind early in the second quarter with visible squabbles amongst certain team members leading coach Ray Muscat to introduce younger elements on the court, a tactic which bore fruit at that moment as young Nathan Xuereb and Francesco Mifsud (172-G-98) upped the team's tempo and together with Jon Feiler and the constant offensive contribution from Michael Naudi, the maroons set off on a remarkable 13-0 run which re-opened the game. Marko Matijevic had three hoops which helped Hibs maintain a slender 36-33 at the interval. An initial second half mid range shot from Feiler brought Gzira Athleta again just a point away but, even though points became a bit rare at both ends in this quarter, Hibs replied with a 10-2 run in 7 minutes with the winner of series' Most Valuable Player Award, Chad Patus, hitting two shots in this run. Patus was visibly very happy with the league win, 'what a great way to cap off an amazing year with a great group of guys. In the final Athleta played us really hard in every game and it took a complete team effort to beat them in the series. We played with maximum effort on the defensive end, which in turn fueled our offense. The key to our success was the team as a whole. Everyone pushed themselves very hard to do what was needed for the team to win.' Patus was benched and was replaced by Italian Luca Tardito (204-F-89) with Gzira Athleta initially returning very close at 41-45 after a brace of Matthew Gouder freeshots and another bucket from the game's top scorer Feiler. However Tardito here scored and and-one play followed by another hoop to extend Hibs' lead once again. The Italian, who started the season in the second team, stated, 'it is hard to explain how I feel, this was my first season here and to finish it like this is something particular. I came here in Malta without any expectation, without know nothing but the Hibs family welcomed me very warmly. It is just amazing to win with these unique teammates. Hibs are not just a team, it is a big family.' The third quarter ended with Hibs having a 9 point margin after late Anton Axiak freethrows. The latter centre said that this was an extraordinary season. 'We had already won 3 cups coming into the finals but the league is truly special. It is the best feeling ever. Yet, we could not have achieved all this if the management and supporters did not believe in us from the start.' Gzira Athleta made a final effort in the fourth quarter with Naudi and Feiler pushing the team forward but Hibs' advantage in height was bearing more fruit as a number of offensive rebounds were being taken. Two Ivan Mitrovic treys did not prove game changing as Patus scored an important long distance shot, two minutes from time, to reastblish a double digit Hibs lead at 67-56. Gzira Athleta could not react and Hibs managed to control the ball in the last offences with the players, both the veterans and the young ready to celebrate the league win. One of the young players who contributed in certain games this season was Luke Farrugia who commented, 'the first loss was humbling and it gave us the motivation to play harder on defense as our offense would come naturally as our team has many scoring options. We regrouped and played together and for each other. As Athleta were coming back today, our experienced players led the team and pulled away to win it.' The jubilant Hibs squad and supporters celebrated at the final buzzer. BOV Chief Officer Peter Perotti and the MBA President Paul Sultana presented the league trophy and medals to the Hibs' team as well as the MVP award to Chad Patus.
Gzira Athleta: M. Naudi 22, K. Liivamagi, P. Shoults 3, L. Stefanovic, F. Mifsud Bonnici 2, O. Said, M. Gouder 4, N. Xuereb 7, S. Vincic, I. Mitrovic 9, J. Feiler 16 Hibs: R. Vella 11, P. Attard, K. Sultana, L. Farrugia, S. Attard, I. Bonett, L.Tardito 5, A. Axiaq 3, M. Matijevic 17, A. Lizaur 21, F. Mariani, C. Patus 18 Referees: G. Barbara, E. Mangani, N. Azzopardi
Hibs win BOV KO honour for the fourth time - Apr 1, 2018
This was the fourth final, this season, between these two sides, with the Paolites winning it for the fourth time, and also defending it successfully, from last season. This was also the eighth meeting between these outfits, this season, with Hibs emerging victors on six occasions. Apart from the initial stages, the match was in Hibs' hands, as they set up a winning margin by the end of the third session. Luxol's triples, in the final period, brought about a more respectable score, as Luxol suffered their third final defeat, after an initial Super Cup success. As expected, Dirk Schembri (193-F-85) was roped in again, for this important encounter, which gives the right to the winner, to take part in the coming Super Cup, next season. It was actually the Violets, playing in their natural colours, who were first off the block. Their initial William Ahlberg brace of hoops were neutralised by a pair of Hibs baskets, but Luxol were again in front, with a trio of hoops. From then on it was the Paolites controlling the play. They put in a 12-0 run, till the end of the session, with a commendable triple, from Luke Farrugia (181-G/F-97), coming off the bench. He was awarded the match MVP, at the end of the game, for his performance, throughout the match. The start of the second session had Hibs continuing where they left off, making up an 8-0 run. Luxol finally could hit back, as Ahlberg sank a trey, but after that, they could only reply to their opponents' points, until another late surge had the Paolites pushing forward once more, with a 10-0 run, as Roderick Vella made his points, also with a triple. Nikola Vasovic (180-PG-92) netted a Luxol trey, but at the interval his side was still way behind, at 28-47. After the break Kyle Meyer (208-C-93, college: Houston, agency: KMG Sports Management) started with a Luxol trey, but Hibs began to take command again. A 9-2 run was followed by a brace of triples, from Chad Patus. Luxol dragged themselves a little back, with the Paolites enjoying a 66-45 advantage, going into the last quarter. The Violets began in earnest, nailing three treys in succession, with two from Vasovic and Ahlberg in between. A7-2 Hibs run had Marco Matijevic netting two hoops with Simon Attard sinking a triple. Keith Dimech (179-F-00) put in a Luxol trey, but Hibs' answer was a 10-0 run, with Patus and Attard triples. Luxol ended the match with a flourish, as Ahlberg, Dimech and Vasovic added another trey each. with Hibs content with their garnered victory. After the match the General Secretary of the MBA, Joseph Muscat, presented medals to the Poalite side, Luke Farrugia was awarded the MVP, and Marco Matijevic received the side's third honour of the season. Courtesy of: independent.com.mt
Luxol's Vasovic lauds team composure after Super Cup triumph - Oct 18, 2017
Reigning champions BUPA Luxol set off the new season, played in the newly refurbished Ta' Qali basketball complex, on a high note winning the St James Hospital Super Cup, for the ninth time in history, eight years after their last trophy success in 2009. Both teams were wary of each other at the start of the final with points coming hard to come by. One of Hibs' new signings, Roderick Vella (ex-Gzira Athleta) opened the game's account with one shot from two from the charity line only to be replied, at the other end, with another new signing, Nikola Vasovic (180-PG-92), who returned to don Luxol's colours after playing for Floriana. Both players shared different feelings after the match. 'After a tough pre-season, our first game brought us the first win,' Nikola Vasovic said. 'The game could have gone either way, especially when Hibs started coming back but we were well prepared, kept our composure and defended well. 'Our primary aim was to limit Chad Patus and William Ahlberg did an extremely good job in this regard.' On the other hand, Hibs' guard Vella was disappointed with the outcome. 'The team is completely new and we are really a work in progress. In this final we had a horrible shooting game,' he said. Young Keith Dimech opened a slender 6-1 Luxol lead with two consecutive hoops. But Hibs, soon made amends to equalise after a Marko Matijevic (200-F-78) close range basket even though the Paolites had already missed five free-throws from seven midway in the first quarter. Ahlberg who captained Luxol in the absence of Marco Mercieca, who was casually clothed on the team bench together with another potential new signing Nigel Sultana, gave his team another lead which was then extended with two basket-and-one plays from Luxol's new foreign import Kyle Meyer (208-C-93, college: Houston, agency: KMG Sports Management). 'Kyle Meyer is a strong addition to the team. He is a great all rounder with an incredible personality. In the final, he showed his clear defensive and rebounding qualities,' Nikola Vasovic said. Even though Hibs tried to reduce the deficit with three-point shots from Alavaro Lizaur and Fabrizio Mariani (205-C/F-83), Luxol were in sync as they extended the lead to 31-13, potting a series of points including four shots from downtown. After the break, it looked like Hibs were to change things round as Vella and Patus registered some hoops to close the gap down to 10 points, 38-28. But Ahlberg was Luxol's hero when he led the team's tempo and with 13 personal points (including three treys) in just a four-minute span he helped his side to gain a 53-33 advantage. Hibs' best moment in the game arrived in the middle stages of the last quarter with a 12-0 run that lifted them just seven points away from their opponents, 56-63. Yet a Dimech close range basket after an offensive rebound gave Luxol a fresh impetus and they then controlled the last stages of the final potting, free-throws after Hibs were trying to stop the game clock. Vella said the defeat showed Hibs had a lot to work on. 'We need to work harder on certain details like communication and defence but I am sure we will get there soon enough and be competing for the other silverware this season,' he said. At the end of the match MBA president Paul Sultana presented the St James Hospital Super Cup trophy to the Luxol players. Courtesy of: timesofmalta.com
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