John Tabone Shield Cup: Starlites and Hibernians Dominate in Opening Statement Wins

- October 6, 2025

POSTED BY: EurobasketMalta

Ayomide Ajiboye

Hibernians Overpower Athleta Behind Ajiboye’s Dominance

Final Score: Hibernians 91 – Athleta AtoZ 53

In the earlier game of the Shield double-header, Hibernians delivered a statement win of their own, blowing past a disjointed Athleta AtoZ side with a 91–53 demolition that highlighted their size, depth, and intensity.

Newcomer Ayomide Ajiboye (196-F-2000, college: Roosevelt) was a force in the paint, finishing with 12 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists, including multiple put-backs and tip-ins that left Athleta scrambling. Fellow big man Ivan Demcesen (216-C-1991) added 14 points and 4 rebounds, while Deonte Jackson (175-PG, college: LeTourneau) chipped in with 11 points, 7 boards, and 3 assists.

Elijah Simmons (198-F, college: OUAZ) played a steady all-around game, notching 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and a perfect 5-for-5 from the line. Hibs also saw strong contributions from Matthew Attard (180-G-2003), who poured in 16 points off the bench, and Piotr Stelmach, who added 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Hibernians built their lead gradually, using their physicality and transition play to push ahead 41–25 by halftime, and then absolutely exploded in the second half. They crushed Athleta in Points in the Paint (50–30) and dominated fast-break points (24–20), with 39 bench points showing their incredible depth.

On the other side, Athleta struggled to get anything going offensively. Duane Goodman (188-G-1997, college: Knox). led the team with 18 points, but needed 20 shots to get there. The team shot just 31.7% overall and went a dismal 5-of-23 from three. Robert Bonnici Vitale (183-SG-1994) had 13 points but struggled to orchestrate the offense against relentless pressure.

Hibernians held Athleta scoreless for long stretches and led by as many as 42 points (87–45) before closing out a confident win in their Shield opener.

Starlites GIG Revive Dominate Depiro to Open Shield Campaign

Final Score: Starlites GIG Revive 83 – The Plaza Depiro 52

After their Super Cup triumph just weeks ago, Starlites GIG Revive picked up right where they left off, dismantling The Plaza Depiro in a one-sided affair that showed just how deep and dangerous this Starlites GIG roster is.

Led by a trio of American imports—Jackson Threadgill (198-G, college: App State), Musa Jallow (196-G-2000, college: Charlotte), and Jayden Iturmendi (198-G, college: Bridgeport)—Starlites GIG controlled the tempo from the opening quarter. Ian Felice Pace was outstanding, scoring 15 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting, including 3 triples, while Threadgill added 11 points and 9 rebounds. Iturmendi chipped in with 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, doing a little bit of everything.

Depiro, meanwhile, struggled mightily from beyond the arc (5-of-31) and were haunted by a poor shooting night from lead guard Cameron Cornelius (183-G-1992, college: MSSU), who went just 1-of-12 from the field. Only Nikola Bozovic (187-PF-1997) found some rhythm, scoring 19 points and hauling in 9 rebounds. Javier Turner (213-F/C, college: Multnomah) added 11, but the team shot just 31.7% overall and was out-rebounded 41–38 despite Bozovic's efforts.

Starlites GIG raced to a 20-point lead (46–26) and never looked back, cruising to an 83–52 win and sending a clear message that they intend to chase silverware again this season.