Recap

Valletta reopened the battle for the fourth playoff spot on Saturday with a stunning victory over SiGMA Depiro at the Ta’ Qali Pavilion.

Sasa Dimitrijevic’s Depiro started strong, with Brandon Porter delivering an emphatic dunk to get his team on the board. However, Valletta responded swiftly as Eric Terry made an early impact from the free-throw line. Miguel Brincat’s consecutive three-pointers gave Valletta an early edge, while Sean Galea answered from deep to keep Depiro in the contest. The momentum shifted further in Valletta’s favour as Cameron Cornelius scored twice in quick succession, including a fadeaway jumper from a turnover. Porter remained Depiro’s primary offensive threat, converting an alley-oop dunk and a putback slam, but Valletta held firm, ending the quarter with a 20-9 lead.

Valletta extended their lead in the second period through Nikola Vasovic’s fadeaway jumper. Galea connected on another three-pointer for Depiro, but Cornelius continued to dominate in transition, capitalising on turnovers with a pair of layups. Valletta seemed to be in control until Depiro fought back through Piotr Stelmach and Nicholas Grech, who combined for five quick points. Serge Hamparsoumain added a floater inside, and with Terry finding his rhythm, Valletta cut the deficit to a single point. Porter responded with two thunderous dunks, momentarily regaining momentum for Depiro, but Vasovic’s three-pointer and Hamparsoumain’s driving layup just before halftime ensured the teams entered the break tied at 29-29.

After halftime, Valletta took the lead through Stefan Vincic’s fast-break layup, followed by Hamparsoumain’s second-chance jumper. Terry extended the advantage further with a layup off a turnover, but Depiro once again responded, with Porter finishing a tough driving layup before adding a floating jump shot in the paint. Cornelius briefly gave Valletta the lead from the free-throw line, but Vasovic’s precision shooting helped Valletta hold onto a slim advantage. Myles Carter then found his range, scoring consecutive baskets in transition, pushing Valletta ahead by seven. Porter kept Depiro within reach, converting a layup and free throw, but Valletta remained in control, leading 43-39 heading into the final period.

The fourth quarter saw Depiro come roaring back, as Brincat drilled a three-pointer before Cornelius levelled the game with a fast-break layup. Terry regained Valletta’s lead from the free-throw line, but Depiro answered once again through David Bugeja’s mid-range jumper. Cornelius continued to showcase his versatility, nailing a fadeaway shot before Porter struck twice in the paint to push Depiro ahead by four. Valletta found a response through Piotr Stelmach’s three-pointer, before Carter put them in front with a step-back triple. The final minutes were a tense exchange, with Porter hitting another pair of floating jump shots before Carter responded with a tough step-back three-pointer.

With 16 seconds left, Porter converted both free throws to tie the game at 58-58. However, Carter drew a foul on the final possession and calmly sank both free throws to seal a dramatic 60-58 victory for Valletta, keeping their playoff hopes alive in a fiercely contested battle that is set to go down to the wire.