Utility Trust St Pauls have won 72-66 away to Killester to go top of the Dominos Women’s Super League. Enda Walshe reports
In the Dominos Men’s Super League Garvey’s Tralee Warriors were 72-58 victors at Killester. Alan Cantwell reports
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors gave their top four playoff hopes and their team morale a huge boost with an extraordinary 72-58 win over Killester at the IWA in Clontarf on Saturday night. The extraordinary part was that they trailed one of the form teams in the League by 10 going into the final quarter and a road win looked most unlikely. However, the Warriors conjured up an astonishing 26-2 final quarter to completely upend the game late on and seal a priceless win, their third this season against Killester, who were unbeaten in their last 10 League games.
Killester bossed the early exchanges with Robert Braswell in particular causing the Warriors problems posting half of the hosts 14 points in the first five minutes to give them an 8 point lead. Warriors response came from captain Eoin Quigley and a major effort from Daniel Jokubaitis and when Cian Sullivan and Steven Bowler opened their accounts the gap was down to 4. Braswell, Farouq Raheem and former Warrior Paul Dick combined to fire Killester’s tally out to 21 but a late lay up from Oisin Kerlin cut the advantage to 21-12 at quarter time.
When Killester extended their lead early in the second through Braswell and Dick, Warriors quickly switched from man to man to a zone defence and it paid immediate dividends as they shut out the hosts while adding an unanswered 14 points through Iggy Hunte with a hat trick, Jordan Perkins with a double and one each from Sullivan and Jokubaitis prompting a Killester timeout. Free throws from both Jokubaitis and Padraig Fleming helped edge Warriors 29-28 up late in the quarter but Killester regathered their composure to see Paul Dick and Braswell in range and Josh Wilson hit his first score of the game to put the hosts 32-30 up at half time.
Killester made by far the better start to the second half and quickly added to their half time lead going 44-34 up midway through the third. Baptiste Chazelas, Paul Dick, a major from Wilson and a 7 point volley from Braswell were in range for the home side and despite scores from Bowler, Quigley, Hunte and Perkins, Warriors were still 11 down with 5 minutes left in the quarter. The Tralee side struck for a quickfire 8 points through Sullivan, Perkins and a double from Jokubaitis but another Wilson three pointer along with Braswell converting from the line from an unsportsmanlike call kept Killester 56-46 ahead at the end of the third.
It was a huge ask for Warriors to turn the contest around in the fourth but when Quigley and Perkins both dropped in major scores the comeback was suddenly on. A minute later Jokubaitis followed suit and when Perkins pulled up with a two point jumper and Hunte converted 4 for 4 from the line the Warriors had turned a 10 deficit into a 5 point lead. With Killester scoreless for quarter to that point, coach Jonathan Grenell called a timeout with 5’46’’ on the clock to stem the bleeding. Out of the break, Perkins and Jokubaitis were on the mark again for the visitors prompting another enforced timeout with 4’17’’ remaining.
The Warriors simply dominated Killester in the final minutes continuing to find scores at will and by the time Jokubaitis, Perkins, Sullivan and Hunte all got in on the act the amazing turnaround was complete. Kaiwen Yang’s with his first touch gave Killester their only score of the quarter to save the hosts the ignominy of going scoreless for a full quarter of Super League basketball.
Scorers:
Killester: Robert Braswell 27, Josh Wilson 9, Paul Dick 8
Garvey's Tralee Warriors: Jordan Perkins 18, Daniel Jokubaitis 16, Iggy Hunte 15
Next up for Warriors are three homes that they can aim to take maximum value from buoyed by the Killester result and with the Warriors faithful hoping to drive them on to finish in the top four of the League table. The first of these games is next Saturday night when they host Limerick Celtics, who come into the game on the back of a big win away to UCC Demons on Sunday and just one win behind Warriors, in the sole Super League game on the international weekend. Tip off at the Kerry Sports Academy is at 7.00pm.
Flexachem KCYMS lost 79-75 to Griffith College Éanna. Ger Nolan reports
Team Flexachem welcomed Griffith Collage Eanna to town on Saturday evening for their last home game of the season.Tip off was at 7.15 with the Dublin side getting off to a strong start with three pointers from Kristin Anabaka and Mikah Blackwell while Killorglin had a poor start and when a time out was called with 6mins left in the quarter,the home side were behind at four points to fifteen.On resumption Eche Okeke landed two three pointers and this kicked off Flexachem who followed on with scores from Pat Lanipakun,Jordan Blount,Emilyian Grudov and Marquez Letcher Ellis to lead the tie at 27 to 25 by quarters end.
Eanna shaded the second period with their American Jaylyn Richardson to the fore but Killorglin kept in touch with Blount leading the way and by half time the score stood at 41 to 42 in favour of Eanna.
Killorglin had a good third period with three pointers from Blount,Ellis and Rami Ghanhem and built up a ten point lead heading into the final quarter at 69 to 59.
But just like the corresponding fixture back in November,a poor showing by Killorglin in the final quarter, which saw Eanna outscore Team Flexachem by six points to twenty, gave the Dublin side victory on a final score of 75 to 79.
Best on the night for Team Flexachem were Jordon Blount on 24 and Eche Okeke on 20 while for Eanna Jaylyn Richardson had 28 points.
There are no games next weekend due to the international break with Team Flexachem's next game being an away tie to Ballincollig on Saturday the seventh of march at 4.00pm in the MTU Arena.
The Men’s National League saw Utility Trust St Pauls Lakers go down 85-79 at Templeogue. Enda Walshe reports
Killarney Cougars were beaten 90-83 by Carrick Cruisers. Clodagh Donnelly reports
Killarney Cougars 83 — Carrick Cruisers 90.
Carrick Cruisers secured their place in the National League Division 1 playoffs with a hard-fought 90–83 victory over Killarney Cougars at the Presentation Gym last evening in a good contest.
The home side started brightly and showed strong intent early in the contest. Paul Adedeji set the tone offensively with nine first-quarter points as the Cougars built an early lead. However, Carrick responded with composure, putting together a strong run to keep the contest tight, with Killarney holding a narrow 25–20 advantage at the end of the opening period.
The momentum shifted in the second quarter as the Cruisers, led by the scoring of Braxton Benham, began to find rhythm on both ends of the floor. Their defensive pressure created transition opportunities, allowing them to overturn the deficit and take a 48–41 lead into halftime.
Carrick, coached by Sean Ingle, took firm control during the third quarter with their most dominant stretch of the game. A decisive scoring run extended their lead with Benham continuing to punish from the perimeter and James Aboaba providing a strong inside presence. By the end of the third, the visitors were in command at 71–52.
To their credit, Killarney refused to fold. The Cougars produced an impressive fourth-quarter rally, sparked by Joshua Phillips’ scoring and Kenny Shimwa’s all-round performance in the paint. Shimwa finished with a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Phillips led all Cougars scorers with 24 points.
The late surge cut the deficit significantly and brought energy back into the gym, but Carrick’s experience showed down the stretch as they controlled possession and closed out the game from the free-throw line to secure a seven-point victory.
Paul Adedeji added 19 points for Killarney, while Simon Olanipekun contributed 11 in a strong effort from the home side despite the loss.
For Carrick, Braxton Benham delivered a standout performance with a game-high scoring contribution, well supported by James Aboaba’s 23 points, performances that ultimately proved decisive in confirming the Cruisers’ playoff qualification.
The Cougars, the spirited final-quarter response highlighted the resilience of Coach Lee’s squad, who will look to carry that momentum into their remaining fixtures.
Top Scorers — Killarney Cougars:
Joshua Phillips 24
Paul Adedeji 19
Kenny Shimwa 18
Simon Olanipekun 11
Carrick Cruisers
Braxton Benham 27
James Aboaba 23
Andrew O'Connor 11
In the BIDL Women’s League Garvey’s Tralee Warriors lost 74-59 away to Fr. Mathews.
Weekend review:
Belfast Star kept their advantage at the summit of the Domino’s Men’s Super League with an 84-80 victory over UCD Marian on Saturday. New signing Shane Dezonie led the way for Star with 24 points, after Irish international Rapolas Buivydas received an ejection from the game. Marian took their biggest lead of the game in at half-time with a 53-30 lead at the break. Bruce Saintilus and Tanner Graham combined for 59 points in the game. Marian also entered the fourth with a 17-point lead, however a 34-13 final quarter from the league leaders gave Star their 16th victory of the season.
Star remain one win ahead of Ballincollig, after the Cork side won both of their games this weekend. For Marian, they are 9-11 and sit in sixth after the defeat, one win off of St. Vincent’s in fifth.
After defeating local rivals UCC Demons on Thursday, Ballincollig kept the momentum rolling with a 117-104 triumph over EJ Sligo All-Stars on Saturday. What will be a major cause of concern for Ballincollig will be the health of Latavious Mitchell, who picked up an injury in the opening moments in the second quarter and did not return. Latrell Jossell followed up his 34-point game on Thursday, with a 20-point game against Sligo. Josh Steel led the way with 25 points. For All-Stars, it was Jordan Hinds, who had a game-high 27 points, with Elijah Lawrence also scoring 23. A 39-point third quarter gave Ballincollig a 23-point lead heading into the fourth and despite a 37-point final period for Sligo, they ultimately fell to a 13th defeat of the season. Ballincollig are now 15-5 for the season.
Killester slipped further away from the top of the table, following a 72-58 home loss to Garvey’s Tralee Warriors. Killester carried a ten-point lead into the final quarter of play, but a 26-2 fourth quarter in favour of Warriors completely turned the game on its head and gave Warriors the victory. Robert Braswell was the leading scorer for Killester, scoring 27 points. But it was the Warriors trio of Irshaad Hunte, Jordan Perkins and Daniel Jokubaitis running the show, Hunte scoring 15, Perkins with 18 and Jokubaitis adding 16 in the win.
Limerick Celtics secured a vital 96-91 victory over playoff rivals UCC Demons after a huge second-half comeback. Demons went in at the half-time up by 11, with the score 53-42 at the break. Celtics came roaring back in the second-half led by a huge performance from AJ Williams, who had 21 of his 35 points between the third and fourth quarters of the game. Coming out of a timeout with three minutes left in the game, Demons led 88-84. A Finn Hughes three, followed by a fast break score from Ruairi Cronin gave Celtics their first lead since the opening quarter of the game at 89-88. A Tony Hauser eurostep and finish along with a Cronin corner three ensured Celtics kept the lead at 94-91 with just under a minute left. A pair of Williams free-throws cemented the win for Celtics.
Celtics are now alone in taking up the final playoff spot in the table, with a game in hand over Demons to be played during the international break next weekend where they will face Garvey's Tralee Warriors. Should Celtics win next weekend, it would all but confirm a playoff berth for Celtics in their first season playing in the Domino's Men's Super League.
Killester fall to third with a record of 14-6, while Warriors are now 9-9 for the season, however, they do hold two games in hand on the rest of sides around them.
Energywise Ireland Neptune’s relegation worries were heightened after suffering a 121-114 loss to St. Vincent’s. Michael Hayes hit free-throws midway through the second quarter to give Neptune a 46-44 lead, but a 13-point scoring run, capped off by a tough finish Adon Gregorio to end the quarter, gave Vincent’s a 59-51 lead into the half-time interval. Gregorio and Hayes combined for 53 points for Vincent’s, after both sides had two 30+ point quarters in the second half of the game.
Vincent’s are now up to fifth with an even 10-10 record, just one win off Éanna in fourth, however Éanna hold a game in hand over Vincent’s. Neptune remain bottom of the table with five wins, with just three games left to play.
Flexachem KCYMS also missed an opportunity to move away from the relegation spot after losing 79-75 to Griffith College Éanna on Saturday evening. Killorglin held a ten-point advantage going into the final period of action, but a 20-6 final quarter for Éanna swung both the momentum and the result in their favour. Jordan Blount was just one rebound away from a triple-double performance, scoring 24 points and getting 10 assists for Killorglin. Jaylyn Richardson scored a game-high 28 points for Éanna, including hitting five threes on the way to getting Éanna their 11th victory of the season.
Éanna maintain control on the final home court playoff spot, in fourth, one win ahead of UCD Marian and Vincent’s. For Killorglin, they keep a one-game cushion ahead of Neptune at the foot of the table, but will be watching over their shoulder for the next three games.
Utility Trust St. Paul's Killarney defeated Killester 72-66 in a top-of-the-table clash in the Domino’s Women’s Super League. A double-double performance from Maisie Burnham pushed Killarney over the line, as she scored 20 points and got 10 rebounds in the victory. Tara Cousins, Leah McMahon and Lovisa Hevinder all scored double digits for Killarney, as they retook the lead in the fourth quarter at 64-61 with four minutes left and didn't look back.
The loss sees Killester fall behind St. Paul's at the summit, despite a strong 18-point game from Michelle Clarke. St. Paul's are 13-3 for the season after the win that will give them huge momentum heading into the playoffs.
UCC Glanmire took home a vital 97-94 overtime victory over Trinity Meteors on Saturday through a massive 42-point game from Jewel Watkins. Glanmire had the lead for three and a half quarters in the game, leading by as much as 17 during normal time. A tough finish from Kylie Horstmeyer gave Meteors an 84-83 lead just over a minute left in the fourth quarter. Ava Learn hit a free throw to give them a two-point cushion with 20 seconds on the clock. However, Watkins fought through contact to get the score and tie the game at 85-85 and bring it to overtime.
Glanmire would open the overtime period with an 11-3 run, finished off by a spin move and layup from Viane Cumber, which would be an unassailable lead to reach, as Glanmire took home their 11th win of the season. The loss for Meteors sees them fall two wins behind Brunell, who occupy the final home court playoff spot.
Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell took a major step towards a home playoff berth, with an 87-73 victory over Catalyst Fr. Mathews in the Fr. Mathews Arena on Saturday. Laila Blair had 30 points for Fr. Mathews in the defeat, only usurped by Brailyn Joseph, who had 32 for Brunell. Joseph shot an efficient 13-19 from the field for Brunell as they built as much as a 17-point lead during the game.
The win for Brunell has them at 10-6 in fourth, holding a two-game cushion over the sides below them. For Fr. Mathews, they remain winless with their record now at 0-16.
FloMAX Liffey Celtics picked up a crucial 82-75 victory over McEvoy’s Cavan Eagles in the fight for position in the Domino’s Women’s Super League. The duo of Brooke Kane and Sorcha Tiernan combined for 42 points in the win for Celtics, who are now one win ahead of Eagles. It was one of the more back and forth games of the weekend, with the lead being exchanged 11 times between the two sides. Soleil Barnes led the way for Eagles, scoring 17 along with a double-double from Mazatkan Harris in the defeat.
Eagles now sit in eighth with a record of 7-9, one win back from Meteors and Celtics. Liffey are now 8-8 for the season in sixth, looking to move to fifth before we enter the playoff season.
SETU Waterford Wildcats enjoyed a 27-point triumph over Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers in Mercy College. The 82-55 win was Wildcats third consecutive win in the Domino’s Women’s Super League. It puts Wildcats ahead of Eagles in the table at eight wins, to Cavan’s seven. Panthers remain second from bottom with a record of 2-13 for the season.
For extended rights-free Domino's Men's Division One and Domino's Women's Division One copy, click here.
Results
Domino’s Men’s Super League
Saturday 21st February
Ballincollig 117-104 EJ Sligo All-Stars
Energywise Ireland Neptune 114-121 St. Vincent’s
UCD Marian 80-84 Belfast Star
Killester 58-72 Garvey’s Tralee Warriors
Flexachem KCYMS 75-79 Griffith College Éanna
Sunday 22nd February
UCC Demons 91-96 Limerick Celtics
Domino’s Women’s Super League
Saturday 21st February
Killester 66-72 Utility Trust St. Pauls Killarney
Catalyst Fr. Mathews 73-87 Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell
Trinity Meteors 94-97 UCC Glanmire
FloMAX Liffey Celtics 82-75 McEvoy’s Cavan Eagles
SETU Waterford Wildcats 82-55 Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers
Domino’s Men’s Division One
Saturday 21st February
Ulster University 72-102 ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers
Dublin Lions 90-69 Tipp Talons
Templeogue 85-79 SPK Utility Trust Lakers
Malahide 80-89 Titans BC
Limerick Sport Eagles 87-60 Team Northwest
Drogheda Wolves 90-65 Maigh Cuilinn
Moy Tolka Rovers 86-93 Maree
Killarney Cougars 83-90 Carrick Cruisers
Domino’s Women’s Division One
Saturday 21st February
Cleveland Rockets 72-69 Moy Tolka Rovers
Abbey Seals Dublin Lions 68-84 University of Galway Mystics
Limerick Sport Huskies 67-46 Dublin Raiders
Swords Thunder 57-86 Limerick Celtics
Clunetech Kilkenny Stars 53-57 Templeogue
