Starlites Revive brought a remarkable and historic campaign to a fitting conclusion by clinching the BOV Basketball First Division League title, defeating Hibernians 3–2 in the best of five playoff finals to be crowned national champions.
The championship success capped an exceptional season for the Naxxar based club, who asserted their dominance from start to finish. Starlites completed the regular season unbeaten, setting the tone for a campaign defined by consistency, resilience and high level performance, before carrying that momentum into a championship winning playoff run.
Hibernians stunned the champions in the opening game of the playoff final, edging Starlites 95–90 to take an early lead in the series. Starlites responded strongly in Game 2 with a commanding 85–73 victory to restore parity, before taking control of the series with an emphatic 100–84 win in Game 3. Hibernians hit back in Game 4 with an 88–83 victory to force a decisive encounter, setting up a thrilling conclusion to the finals.
Starlites produced a dominant and composed performance to defeat Hibernians 98–77, pulling away decisively after a closely contested opening. The first session saw the lead change hands multiple times, with Starlites edging it 25–22, before they took control early in the second quarter, going on a strong run to open a 12-point gap and eventually extending it to a commanding 56–37 halftime lead, powered by an impressive 19-point contribution from Musa Jallow. The high-tempo third quarter saw both sides trading baskets, but Starlites maintained their advantage, closing the period 79–59. Hibernians mounted a late push to cut the deficit to 85–74 with four minutes remaining, but a timely timeout by coach Paul Ferrante broke their momentum, allowing Starlites to regain composure and close out the game comfortably. Threadgill led the scoring with 28 points, while Jallow added 25 in a strong all-round team display.
The league triumph completed an outstanding clean sweep of major domestic honours, with Starlites having already lifted the Super Cup, the Joe Tabone Shield, and the BOV National KnockOut Trophy earlier in the season. Together, these achievements underline a season that will long be remembered as one of the most successful in the club’s history.
Following the conclusion of the final series, the BOV Basketball First Division League trophy was presented to Starlites by Stefan Abela, Community Relations Manager at Bank of Valletta, together with Joseph Muscat, Secretary General of the Malta Basketball Association, in recognition of the team’s outstanding achievement.
The celebrations were further enriched with individual recognition, as Starlites’ Musa Jallow was presented with the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the playoff finals, honouring a series of performances that proved decisive in securing the league crown.
Bank of Valletta’s continued support of basketball forms part of the Bank’s longstanding commitment to Maltese sport and community development, through its partnership with the Malta Basketball Association and sponsorship of national competitions, promoting sporting excellence, teamwork and integrity.
