League Championship
Standings
 |
|
|
|
Bupa Luxol 2007-08
|
|
BUPA Luxol celebrates the title
BUPA Luxol - Compleet IS
67:61
BUPA Luxol rolled to a decisive victory in the third game of the Gatorade League
Final series and claimed the title. Luxol jumped to an early 17:12 lead after
the opening stanza. Compleet stayed close and closed the gap to 2 points midway
through the second term. But Luxol chipped in 7 unanswered points to cap the
second period leading by 8. Compleet IS never threatened the deficit in the
third quarter and headed into the final frame trailing by the same 8 points. The
tension grew in the final minutes with Luxol holding on to a minimum lead.
Kirsten Baldacchino missed two free throws and Luxol capitalized hitting a bunch
of their own free throw attempts to seal the winning outcome at the end. The
victory marked the 11th championship for Luxol.
Marko Matijevic (200-F-78) led the winners with 25 points.
Michael Naudi (193-G/F-80) answered with 23 points for Compleet IS.
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
