Recap

Mellieha Libertas remained the only unbeaten side in the division so far this season after beating Gzira Athleta with a convincing team display.

Mellieha’s Tedrick Wolfe hit first with a Vukasin Jandric three-pointer making it a five-point game within the first minute of the game. Malik Riddle responded for Athleta but Wolfe was back with another six points to get his side over the 10-point mark.

Mellieha were looking on top of things in the first quarter and Piotr Stelmach, who started on the bench for Athleta, was becoming his side’s only reprieve as the Maroons trailed by double digits midway through the rubber.

Stelmach and Dajuan Moorer eventually made it a six-point game but as Athleta started clicking on offence, Robert Bonnici hit twice from deep and Kwame Thompson put Mellieha back ahead in a double-digit advantage before a late Moorer bucket to finish the quarter 15-24.

Bonnici was in the mood for threes on the day, hitting his third straight effort from deep for Mellieha in between Matthew Gouder and Moorer scores. Riddle added to a powerful Gzira start to the second quarter to make it a four-point game before another Wolfe three-ball hit pause on his opponents’ momentum. This balance continued throughout a physical set of minutes that saw the Northerners end the first half on top by six points.

Mellieha’s Thompson opened the second half with a pinpoint three-pointer to reignite the game’s excitement, Moorer hitting his Athleta’s first basket after the change of ends in the next play.

The physical play of the first half carried over into the third quarter but while it was mostly clean play in the earlier stages of the game, Mellieha were in the bonus five minutes into the rubber. Nonetheless, the game remained balanced until Jandric hit another three to reopen a double-digit lead for the league leaders.

Riddle hit four consecutive times from deep after a Moorer putback but a Wolfe dunk and and-one play, together with two Thompson scores through contact assured Mellieha would be up by seven before the final quarter.

Moorer slammed home the first points of the fourth quarter but Gouder was out with his fifth foul as Athleta were served their second technical foul of the game to put Mellieha 13 points ahead after four minutes of play. Bonnici then hit yet another three-ball to make the task even tougher and tensions greater. The game was all but over when Mellieha were in the bonus two minutes later, and they administered their lead until the final buzzer.