Tralee Warriors have won the Men's Development League final.
In the national arena in Dublin they overcame Carrick Cruisers 86-70.
End Q1 Tralee Warriors 23 Carrick Cruisers 12
HT Tralee Warriors 41 Carrick Cruisers 30
End of Q3 Tralee Warriors 59 Carrick Cruisers 52
FT Tralee Warriors 86 Carrick Cruisers 70
Alan Cantwell reports
The Tralee Warriors made it a weekend to remember by adding the inaugural Basketball Ireland Development National League title to the Mens U20 National League title they won on Saturday with an 86-70 win over Carrick Cruisers in the decider on Sunday morning.
The Warriors threatened to put the contest to bed early on when they blasted out to a 14 point lead with captain Aaron Fleming leading the charge with three threes and with James Fernane also in range from outside the pair shared the opening 16 points for the Tralee side. Carrick ‘s responses came from Andrew O’Connor and when Ramunas Ramunauskas added the Warriors led 16-4 at the midway point of the quarter. Steven Bowler and Padraig Fleming opened their accounts to add to the lead but threes from Killian McAdam and Rimvydas Valatonis cut the quarter time gap to 23-12. It was Valatonis’s last action of the game as he was taken to hospital with a serious leg injury with the game delayed for 20 minutes.
On the resumption the Warriors continued to dominate the exchanges with a Josh Osayanrhion double helping to push the lead back out to 16. Back to back three from O’Connor and a hat trick from inside from Ramnauskas pared the gap back to 7 but when Dan Bowler hit his first of the day and James Fernane flicked in two brilliant threes the Warriors looked good for their 41-30 lead at half time.
The third quarter saw a momentum shift go the way of the Monaghan based outfit as they slowly chipped away at the Warriors lead with Danas Smigelskis and Ramunas Ramanauskas tormenting the Tralee side defensive unit as they shared Carrick’s next 10 points in a row. Dan Bowler, Padraig Fleming and Josh Osayanrhion kept the Warriors score ticking over and the double digit lead intact. The Warriors rearguard continued to try to repel the Carrick attack but Smigelskis and Ramanauskas combined again to cut the lead right down to a single score. However foul trouble allowed the Warriors through Fernane and Osayanrhion to restore some comfort in their 59-52 advantage at three quarter time.
The Cruisers struck early in the final quarter in a bid to derail the perfect weekend for the Warriors as Ramanauskas, O’Connor and Audrius Urbanavicius levelled the contest with 6’40’’ on the clock and then took the lead for the first time in the game with an Andrew O’Connor lay up. Steven Bowler then showed his Super League credentials adding a quickfire 8 points including an inspirational ‘and one’ score to spread the game again. Osayanrhion with a double and Aaron Fleming with yet another belter from distance saw the Warriors lead 75-64 with 2’00’’ on the clock. Ramanauskas and O’Connor landed late scores for Carrick but Aaron Fleming finished the game with a superb cameo to add two more stunning threes and Adam O’Keeffe’s late appearance was capped with a memorable major score to seal the win.
Aaron Fleming accepted the inaugural BIDL National League trophy with co-captain Daire Kennelly and Fleming was also deservedly selected as MVP with his six three pointers showcasing a stunning display of his outside shooting.
Scorers:
Tralee Warriors: Aaron Fleming 22, James Fernane 19, Joshua Osayanrhion 16
Carrick Cruisers: Ramunas Ramanauskas 27, Andrew O’Connor 19, Danas Smigelskis 12
Pyrobel Killester completed the double, by adding the MissQuote.ie Champions Trophy to their MissQuote.ie Super League title win three weeks ago. They defeated SETU Waterford Wildcats 75-50 at the National Basketball Arena on Sunday.
Pyrobel Killester raced out of the blocks and led 24-6 at the end of the opening quarter, Jiselle Thomas hitting nine points and Irish international Michelle Clarke scoring seven, as they took command.
SETU Waterford Wildcats tried to establish themselves in the game, Kate Hickey landed from the three point line, with a little over three and a half minutes to go in the second quarter, to trail 36-11. Thomas responded straight afterwards with her second from the three point line. Claire Melia, who was awarded the MVP, was putting her stamp on proceedings, a putback basket and jump shot in the closing stages put the Dublin side 48-15 up. Alarie Mayze closed the deficit with a layup and follow-up free throw after being fouled, but it was Killester ahead 48-18 at half-time.
SETU Waterford Wildcats needed a fast start and jump shots from Jade Compton and Helena Rohan, either side of a Melia layup, narrowed the deficit slightly. A three from the corner by Compton saw Tommy O’Mahony’s side trail 52-25 with two and a half minutes gone.
SETU Waterford Wildcats continued to make inroads on the scoreboard, a put-back basket from Compton, a Maria SanRoma Gomez three and a pair of Compton free throws saw them trail 54-33 with three and a half minutes to go in the third.
Four Michelle Clarke free throws steadied things for Killester. The final minute saw Kate Hickey hit a corner three for Wildcats, while Jiselle Thomas’ converted two free throws to hand Mark Grennell’s side a 62-42 lead at the end of the third.
Killester’s stretched their lead to 27 points four and a half minutes into the fourth quarter following Keowa Walters’ basket, to lead 70-43 and they would see out the remainder of the game comfortably, winning 75-50.
Pyrobel Killester captain Michelle Clarke said: “Thrilled with our performance, first half was so much fun, they were always going to bite back and show us really what they’re really made of and they did themselves proud in the second half, delighted with the win.”
Asked whether recent finals experience had stood to them, Clarke added: “We’ve had our fair share of poor performances in the Arena, some days you’re on it, some days you’re not. Our last few games here have really struck dividends to us, they’re two of our best performances of the year, so we can be nothing but happy.”
Pyrobel Killester 75–50 SETU Waterford Wildcats
Quarter Scores: Q1: 24-6, Q2: 48-18, Q3: 62-42, Q4: 75-50
Pyrobel Killester:
Michelle Clarke, Ali Connolly, Sarah Courtney, Bree Shelley, Leilani Turner, Robyn Malone, Ieva Bagdanviciene, Marianna Troy, Claire Melia, Jiselle Thomas, Keowa Walters
Head Coach: Mark Grennell
Top Scorers: Jiselle Thomas 16, Ieva Bagdanviciene and Michelle Clarke (both 14)
SETU Waterford Wildcats:
Caitlin Gloeckner, Kate Hickey, Orla Dullaghan, Helena Rohan, Sarah Hickey, Alarie Mayze, Jade Compton, Sinead Deegan, Maria SanRoma Gomez, Illana Fitzgerald, Stephanie O’Shea
Head Coach: Tommy O’Mahony
Top Scorers: Jade Compton 16, Alarie Mayze 9, Helena Rohan and Kate Hickey (both 6)
Griffith College Éanna won their first ever InsureMyVan.ie Super League title, thanks to a 93-61 win over Pyrobel Killester in the final at the National Basketball Arena.
They led from start to finish in this contest, establishing a 10 point advantage at the end of the first quarter, 31-21, Sean Jenkins and Josh Wilson making excellent starts with 14 and 12 points respectively.
Kason Harrell closed the gap to five points with three and a half minutes to go in the second quarter. Griffith College Éanna kicked on in the closing stages of the second quarter, three’s from Kristijan Andabaca and Matthew McClain, either side of Gregorio Adon put back for Killester, had them 42-33 up with two minutes to go. MVP Jenkins then downed a beauty from long range to get the Éanna support off their feet, they were ahead 45-33 at that stage and would hold a 49-33 lead by half-time.
Paul Dick started with third quarter with five points to help close the gap to 51-40 two minutes in. But it looked to be Griffith College Éanna’s day with everything seeming to land, including Stefan Desnica’s shotclock buzzer beater with four minutes to go in the quarter, which put them 59-42 up. They were 23 points ahead by the end of the third quarter, a fast break and layup from Josh Wilson made it 69-46.
Pyrobel Killester suffered a blow when Paul Dick bowed out early in the fourth quarter after he picked up his fifth foul, they were 70-48 down at that stage. Éanna’s shooting was exemplary, Matthew McClain’s three was followed by another long range one from Jenkins, to put them 82-50 up by the midpoint of the quarter and they’d close it out to win 93-61.
Darren McGovern, Griffith College Éanna head coach, said: "I can't believe it, I am sort of lost for words. Consistency was probably the reason why we've won it. We've been here, we've practiced really hard, consistently really hard over the last 10-15 weeks. Credit to the players, they were absolutely exceptional today, every task, every defensive assignment I just thought they were unbelievable and credit where credit is due."
On a first Super League title for the club, McGovern added: "This is what we've been working for, whether it was this (Super League) or the Cup, I didn't really care which one it was, as long as we got something in the door. We won our Division One the first year we were there, but we needed to kick on and win one of the big one's and to be honest this is probably the bettter one, because it is harder to win."
Griffith College Éanna 93-61 Pyrobel Killester
Quarter Scores: Q1: 21-31, Q2: 49-33, Q3: 69-46, Q4: 93-61
Griffith College Éanna:
Cathal O’Sullivan, Romonn Nelson, Mark Reynolds, Viktor Lovic, Kristijan Andabaca, Stefan Desnica, Neil Lynch, Sean Jenkins, Joshua Wilson, Matthew McClain, James Gormley, Nathan Comerford
Head Coach: Darren McGovern
Top Scorers: Sean Jenkins 24, Joshua Wilson 18, Matthew McClain 17
Pyrobel Killester:
Andrew McGeever, Jobst Knief, Alan Casey, Paul Dick, Troy Simons, Gregorio Adon, Farouq Raheem, Ciaran Roe, Yanis Lahgazi, Kason Harrell, Tomas Fernandez Zerolo, Eoghan Kiernan
Head Coach: Jonny Grennell
Top Scorers: Kason Harrell 14, Gregorio Adon 13, Paul Dick and Troy Simons (both 9)
UCD Marian secured promotion to the InsureMyVan.ie Super League, thanks to a 94-81 win over Moy Tolka Rovers in the InsureMyVan.ie Division One final. They return to the top flight of Irish basketball at the first time of asking, having been relegated last season.
The pacy Jonathan Jean was crucial to the win, claiming the MVP award with 34 points, five rebounds and seven assists.
UCD Marian edged the opening quarter, leading 25-19, Jean was his usual prolific self, helping himself to 10 points for Ioannis Liapakis’ side.
Four minutes into the second quarter Moy Tolka Rovers got level, at 31-31, following a Jaja Davis three point jump shot – Davis would score 31 points for his side. UCD Marian opened up a five point lead, 37-32, with three minutes to go, following another Jean three, his third of the day. A pair of Karlo Lebo free throws edged Moy Tolka Rovers 45-44 ahead, but it would be UCD Marian marginally in front, 46-45, at the break.
UCD Marian pulled clear in the third, Jean once again instrumental, his layup with three minutes to put them nine clear, at 64-55. But with 30 seconds to go in the quarter a fast break and layup by Daniel Ayoade saw the deficit cut to two, 66-64. Conor Meany had the final say in the quarter, with a long range three to extend UCD Marian’s lead once more, 69-64.
It was a two point game once more two minutes into the final quarter, 71-69, after another Ayoade layup. But Jean was proving too hot to handle, his layup had UCD Marian 82-71 with 4’40 remaining, the American had 32 points to his name at that stage. UCD Marian remained composed in the stretch to seal a 94-81 win.
UCD Marian captain Conor Meany said: “It’s unbelievable, I told Ioannis (Liapakis) back in the summer that I thought I wanted to be part of the group, last year was terrible for the young lads, so I wanted to be back and do what I thought we could and get back to Super League. I am delighted, it has been a long season, and the lads have developed so much and I think we believe we’re a Super League club and we’re delighted to be back home where we belong.”
Asked whether it was his final game, Meany added: “I say it is, my wife doesn’t believe me, so we will see. You are not a proper Irish basketballer until you’ve retired a few times! I think it’s time to leave it, but if it is the last day it’s as good a day as you could possibly wish for.”
UCD Marian 94–81 Moy Tolka Rovers
Quarter Scores: Q1: 25-19, Q2: 46-45, Q3: 69-64, Q4: 94-81
UCD Marian:
Leonardo Marcon, Conor Meany, Paraic Moran, Sean O’Flynn, Luke Gilleran, Ronan Byrne, Matthew McGrath, Sotiris Maltiadis, Tobias Christensen, Sasha French, Jonathan Jean, Sean Brady
Head Coach: Ioannis Liapakis
Top Scorers: Jonathan Jean 34, Tobias Christensen 15, Sasha French 12
Moy Tolka Rovers:
Daniel Ayoade, Rory Howe, Ethan Farrelly, Marcus Black, Jaja Davis, Elijah Faapito, Samuel Badejo, Daniel Russell, Karlo Lebo, Mark Convery
Head Coach: Hunor Harkai
Top Scorers: Jaja Davis 31, Karlo Lebo 22, Elijah Faapito 10
