John Tabone Shield Cup Day 3: Hibernians Too Strong for Valletta, Luxol Bounce Back with Win Over Depiro

- October 20, 2025

POSTED BY: EurobasketMalta

Deonte Jackson

Valletta Dreams 60 – 123 Hibernians

Date / Time: 19 Oct 2025, 15:15

Hibernians extended their perfect run in the John Tabone Shield Cup with a commanding 123-60 win over Valletta Dreams. The game quickly slipped out of Valletta’s hands as Hibs asserted control from the tip-off, executing with tempo, depth, and accuracy.

Despite the heavy loss, Eugene Campbell III (190-G-1995, college: NJCU) shone individually for Valletta, delivering a 35-point performance that accounted for over half his team's total. However, the rest of the squad couldn’t keep up, combining for just 25 points and shooting a difficult 10.5% from beyond the arc.

Hibernians, meanwhile, displayed remarkable offensive balance. 11 players made the scoreboard, with 7 of them reaching double figures — an impressive stat at any level. Deonte Jackson (175-PG-2001, college: LeTourneau) (19 pts), Ayomide Ajiboye (196-F-2000, college: Roosevelt) (17 pts), Ivan Demcesen (216-C-1991) (17 pts), and Elijah Simmons (198-F-2001, college: OUAZ) (16 pts) led the way, while the team totalled 35 assists, underlining their unselfish play.

The stats told the story: Hibs shot 52.2% from the field, hit 15 three-pointers at 42.9%, and won the rebounding battle 57–37 in a complete performance.

Luxol Sherries Estates 78 – 56 Depiro

Date / Time: 19 Oct 2025, 17:15

In the second game of the day, Luxol bounced back from their opening loss by taking down Depiro 78-56. A strong showing by Nathan Xuereb (180-SF-2001), who tallied 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, set the tone. He was supported well by Burke Smith (211-F/C, college: Pacific), who recorded a huge 26-rebound, 18-point double-double, and Jayden Johnson (198-G, college: UMD), who added 15 points on efficient shooting,

Luxol dominated the glass with 56 total rebounds and showed better composure offensively, hitting 40% of their shots and keeping turnovers to a minimum.

For Depiro, Javier Turner (213-F/C, college: Multnomah) led with 13 points and 8 boards, while Luca Stefanovic (181-SF-1998) also added 13 points. But overall efficiency was lacking as the team managed just 30.2% shooting from the field and 20% from three-point range. Despite some strong defensive moments, they couldn't match Luxol’s consistency.