Recap

Hibernians claimed a commanding 100-84 victory over Starlites JSD in a fiercely contested BOV Division One clash on Sunday, as Christian Narciso’s clan stayed undefeated after five league games.

The game opened with Hibernians establishing early dominance, thanks to Ivan Demcesen’s tip-in and Derek Brown’s precision at the free-throw line. Starlites responded through Matthew Scerri’s three-pointer, but Tedrick Wolfe and Matthew Gouder kept the momentum with fast-break points and long-range shooting. A scoring surge midway through the first quarter, including Gouder’s five points in quick succession and Demcesen’s layups in the paint, gave Hibernians a commanding lead. Despite a late three-pointer from Andrew Aquilina, Hibernians ended the quarter 23-14 ahead.

The second quarter saw Hibernians extend their lead with Miguel Mallia and Gouder finding their range from beyond the three-point line. Starlites relied on Max Curran and Kolten Mortensen for points in the paint, but they struggled to match Hibernians’ tempo. Demcesen’s relentless presence inside, scoring six points in the quarter, and Gouder’s composure at the line helped Hibernians close the half with a comfortable 46-30 advantage.

After halftime, Starlites showed renewed aggression, with Curran’s perimeter shooting and Ian Felice Pace’s fast-break three-pointers narrowing the gap. However, Hibs’ Brown answered with back-to-back three-pointers, and Stefan Simic added a critical triple to maintain Hibernians’ cushion. Despite late-quarter efforts from Joe Davis and Louie Farrugia, Hibernians entered the fourth quarter with a 69-59 lead.

The final quarter was a flurry of action as Paul Ferrante’s Starlites launched a determined comeback. Trevon Reddish-Rhone led the charge with six consecutive points, reducing the deficit to three. However, Gouder’s timely three-pointer and Wolfe’s dominance in the paint kept Starlites at bay. Brown sealed the game with consecutive three-pointers, extending the lead to 11. Late contributions from Aquilina and Scerri proved insufficient as Hibernians closed out the game emphatically with Demcesen’s inside scoring and Wolfe’s exclamation dunk at the buzzer.