Recap

Starlites JSD triumphed over SiGMA Depiro in their BOV Men’s Division One clash on Sunday, securing a dominant second-straight league victory with a late-game surge.

Depiro began strongly, with Sean Galea’s fast-break layup setting the tone. Dominic Tomasi and Cameron Cornelius led the charge for Sasa Dimitrijevic’s side, combining for multiple three-pointers in the opening quarter. A late basket by Luca Stefanovic then gave Depiro a 21-13 lead at the first break.

Reigning champions Starlites responded emphatically in the second quarter, led by Ian Felice Pace who ignited the comeback with a three-pointer and a layup. At the same time, Max Curran’s accuracy from beyond the arc put Starlites ahead 23-22 midway through the quarter.

Depiro briefly regained the lead through Tomasi and Miguel Brincat, but a Curran three-pointer and Trevon Reddish Rhone’s fadeaway jump shot secured a narrow 30-27 Starlites advantage at halftime.

Momentum remained firmly with Paul Ferrante’s clan after the interval. Curran dominated the paint, converting second-chance opportunities and fast-break layups to extend the lead to 37-29. Reddish Rhone added a spectacular fast-break layup, pushing the margin further.

Meanwhile, Depiro relied heavily on Brincat’s three-pointers, but Starlites’ balanced scoring from Matthew Scerri and Kolten Mortensen kept them in control, ending the third quarter with a 51-44 lead.

The final rubber saw Starlites take full control. Scerri’s back-to-back three-pointers widened the gap to 13 points before Reddish Rhone entertained the crowd with a thunderous dunk.

Depiro’s early promise faltered as they struggled to match Starlites’ scoring depth. Despite flashes from Galea and Bozovic, they were overwhelmed by Starlites’ defensive adjustments and bench contributions which ensured they took the win at the final buzzer.