Basketball Ireland Mens U20 National League Round 2
Tralee Warriors 75
Maree 67
Tralee Warriors U20 continued their National League title defence with a hard fought come-from-behind win over Maree at the Calasantius College in Oranmore on Saturday night. The Warriors were made to work all the way to the final buzzer but with their Super League duo Olaf Michalczuk and Josh Osayanrhion combining for 50 points, the Tralee side had that extra bit of firepower to see them prevail in the end.
Olaf Michalczuk knocked down a three to open proceedings and Jamie Burke added from inside to give the visitors an early lead but Maree replied impressively through Brian McGrath with four scores and Alan Burke from either side of the arc to lead midway through the first. Michalczuk then lit up to hit a hat trick from inside and his second major of the quarter to draw the sides level. Maree edged in front again when Alvin Olagemi, David Arimoro and McGrath found the target to give their side a 21-16 lead at quarter time.
Maree built on their quarter time lead in the second when McGrath, Burke and Olagemi were in range in reply to scores from Ryan Sheehy, Brain O’Donnell and Michalczuk with his third major of the game. Dan Cullinane and Olagemi rounded out the first half with a score each to see the home side lead by 35-25 at the half time break.
Josh Osayanrhion added his name to the scoresheet early in the third with a quickfire 5 points and Evan Boyle for this range with two long range efforts to halve the Maree half time advantage. Olagemi and McGrath with two baskets each restored the Galway sides double digit lead but other cracker from outside from Michalczuk sparked a Warriors run that saw Jamie Burke find the target from outside and Osayanrhion power his way to a hat trick at the Maree board to draw the sides level at 52-52 at the end of the third.
Osayanrhion struck early in the fourth from inside and outside and David Lucid added to see the Warriors edge ahead but Maree were back in front with scores from Olagemi, Burke and McGrath. In what was the decisive spell in the game the Warriors hit Maree with an 8 point volley from Osayanrhion, Michalczuk and Boyle to open up a 6 point gap. Maree had little more to give but a single score from Olagemi cut the gap to 4. However Michalczuk drilled another stunner from distance to bring his tally to 5 major scores and a game high 28 before Ryan Sheehy also found the target from beyond the arc to seal the win on a final scoreline of 75-67
Scorers
Maree: Alvin Olagemi 24, Brian McGrath 18, Alan Burke 16
Tralee Warriors: Olaf Michalczuk 28, Joshua Osayanrhion 22, Evan Boyle 9