Caffe Moak Luxol win the KO for the ninth time in history

St James Hospital Knock Out Final Women

Caffe Moak Luxol 57 – Gzira Athleta 53

(14-10, 21-22, 8-12, 14-9)

The St James Hospital Knock Out trophy retuned to Caffe Moak Luxol after a span of three years after they beat Gzira Athleta in a close and entertaining final characterized with a 6-0 run, midway in the last quarter, which proved very influential in this Luxol triumph.

This was Luxol’s ninth KO success in history and will surely serve them as a significant morale booster for the race of the league title.

Luxol pratically always were in the lead, save the initial minutes and  certain moments late in the thrid quarter.

Points were not plentiful at the start of the game as the two sides were visibly tense for the final but the scoreline started gaining momentum in the second quarter with Luxol having their guard Pace, forward Stef Demartino and their import centre Attirah Munir well into the action whilst Gzira Athleta, who were searching for their third KO success, replying with long distance shots as well as hoops from their dangerous duo Christina Grima and Amelia Simmons and they were marginally ahead, 44-43, at the start of the last quarter.

With the score 47-46, Luxol burst in with a triple basket run. With time running out, Gzira Athleta did not manage to come back and Luxol’s player’s celebrated the visctory at the final buzzer.

Luxol’s guard Sarah Pace was voted the final’s Most Valuable Player whilst MBA Secretary General Joseph Muscat presented the St James Hospital KO trophy to Luxol’s Demartino.

Caffe Moak Luxol: S. Pace 10, A. Mercieca 7, A. Munir 20, I. Baena Medina 7, N. Vella, S. Demartino 10, K. Portelli, C. Sollami, P. Ellul, L. Caruana Montaldo, M. Darmanin, C. Curmi 3.

Gzira Athleta: M. Stefanovic 8, C. Grima 18, B. Zammit 6, S. Pisani, L. Sciberras 4, A. Simmons 17, D. Said Hollier, A. Borg, J. Schembri, S. Vella, C. Mifsud.

Refs: B. Vassallo, E. Mangani, Z. Dobrosavljevic