Pyrobel Killester vs Garvey’s Tralee Warriors

Recap

Less than 24 hours later and the Warriors took the court at the IWA in Clontarf to take on another of their keen rivals, Killester. The Warriors produced arguably one of the best opening halves of basketball for some time to stun the Dublin side into submission by the halftime buzzer. From the tip off Rap Buivydas powered down the lane to land a statement ‘and one’ score, and by quarter time the Super League Young Player of the Year had 18 points to his name. Killester found their scoring touch from beyond the arc with former Warrior Paul Dick, Kason Harrell and Isiah Dasher all in range. However, major scores at the other end from Eoin Quigley with two and Daniel Jokubaitis along with a hat trick of baskets from Marquavian Stephens saw the Warriors lead 32-24 at quarter time.

The Warriors intensive defensive effort in the second quarter saw them limit the normally free-scoring Killester to just seven points. In offence the Tralee side were in irresistible form scoring at will from inside, outside and the free throw line with Quigley, Buivydas, Adon, Jokubaitis and Stephens sharing 24 points to give the Warriors a game winning 56-31 advantage at the half time break.

The intensity level of the first two quarters subsided in the second half as the scores dried up for both sides. But the Warriors had the heavy lifting done in the first half and added just 8 to their half time tally while Killester found their range albeit with tough scores and without their normal flair. Paul Dick, Harrell, Dasher and Baptiste Chazelas combined for 16 points to bring their score to 47 but the Dublin side still trailed by 27 going into the final quarter.

Early scores from Chazelas. Dasher and Ciaran Roe threatened an unlikely Killester comeback but a dagger three from Quigley put a stop to that gallop and by the time Stephens, Buivydas, Fernane and Joshua Osayanrhion combined the Warriors reached their final tally of 82 points. Killester landed a few late efforts from Paddy Sullivan, Eoghan Kiernan and Kason Harrell but in truth, the game had been decided a long time before the full time buzzer sounded.

It may be early days, but with the way the Warriors have started the new campaign, allied to the promise of the return to action of Ryan Leonard in the coming weeks and the fact that new signing Brandon Mahan is set to return to action next weekend, it is a decidedly promising opening to the season for the League and Cup champions from 2022.

Killester: Paul Dick 15, Kason Harrell 13, Isiah Dasher 9

Garvey’s Tralee Warriors: Rap Buivydas 23, Marquavian Stephens 17, Eoin Quigley 15