Starlites GiG (7-1) and Hibernians (7-1) face off this Sunday in an effort to separate themselves for one another in the race for the first-round bye in the league playoffs. With two games between the two in the MAPRFE MSV Life Women’s League, this Sunday proves vital for both clubs as it will provide a cushion for them going into the final bout on March 29.
The top two clubs play at 14:30 today.
Luxol (1-7) and ARMS Depiro (1-7) are in a race of their own: this one for the third and final spot in the playoffs. They play earlier at 11:00.
The four-team league and the structure of the postseason offers differing advantages and disadvantages for those wanting to claim the top seed. Earning the first-round bye helps a club recover and rest, but that could put a team out of rhythm. Playing through the first-round games as the two or three seed can give the winning club momentum going into the finals.
Starlites are coming off an impressive 80-52 victory over Depiro in the MAPFRE MSV Life Knockout Cup last Sunday. Hibernians have been on a two-week break from competitions before heading into today’s game.
Starlites, then, may have the momentum going into the match, but Hibernians have the advantage of rest and recovery during their two weeks of training.
“For us, winning is always important, but at this stage both teams will make it to the playoffs which I believe is everyone’s ultimate goal,” said Starlites’ Steffi De Martino. “Placing first or second in the league both have their own advantages due to the structure of the league.”
Hibernians head coach Silvia Gambino said that her side did have momentum going into their two-week bye. The Paola side had big wins over Luxol (75-40 on 2 February) and Depiro (83-63 on 26 January) in their last two outings. Gambino would have liked to have kept that momentum building by playing in more games, but she recognizes the value of getting the team healthy and ready ahead of today’s big matchup.
“After two positive performances, having two weeks off is not ideal,” Gambino said. “That’s why during these two weeks we focused on keeping our intensity high and to work on our weaknesses. In the meantime, we had to deal with some injuries, which all seems okay now.”
Gambino added that today is a day “to prove all the work that we did” over the last two weeks.
De Martino knows that every game with Hibernians is a tough one, and today’s matchup will come down to “patience on offense and heart of defense” for the Naxxar side.
“Hibernians have a strong presence on the inside and shooting power on the outside, coupled with some fast legs that keep up the tempo of the game,” De Martino said. “The only way we could come out on top is with a strong defence. I believe that the team to win will be the team who sweats and kills for each ball, because ultimately this game is always a game of a few-points difference.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Wally Galea