Garvey’s Tralee Warriors suffered their second defeat of the season on Saturday night going down to 104-93 to UCD Marian in Belfield. In a game of runs and counter runs, it was the college side that prevailed, in no small part due to the outstanding performance of Isaiah Taylor, who bagged 43 points for the hosts in a game-winning display.
Marian fired their way into a 13-9 lead with Taylor, Christian Alexander, Tom Maguire and Tanner Graham all on the mark. Jaden Daughtry provided Warriors response with three baskets and a major score before inexplicably giving up three fouls midway through and he watched the rest of the quarter from the bench. By the time Taylor had hit another two baskets, at 19-10 down, Warriors called a time out. Out of the break they lit up with Alec Millender and Cian Sullivan combining to give the Warriors the lead before Millender and Daniel Jokubaitis landed a monster three pointer each to put Warriors 26-21 up at quarter time.
Samson Abubakar came off the bench to add two early scores in the second with Sullivan and Jokubaitis replying to a major score from Taylor the Warriors continued to set the pace. Another three pointer apiece from Millender and Jokuabaitis put Warriors 13 up but Ronan Byrne and Maguire combined to cut the gap to 8. Jokubaitis and Millender hit their third pair of major scores of the game to keep double digits between the teams but Taylor kick-started a Marian run with a big three point score before Graham, Alexander and Maguire added to cut the Warriors advantage to 53-52 at half time.
Maguire struck for three early in the third to give edge Marian in front but Warriors countered with a hat-trick from beyond the arc from Olaf Michalczuk and a double from Millender putting the Tralee side six up and forcing a UCD timeout. Christian Alexander then chose his moment to fire up, landing 13 points in a row for the hosts, but at the other end Millender, Steven Bowler, Sullivan and Padraig Fleming managed to keep the Warriors in front. Daughtry then reentered the fray late on and two free throws from him helped put Warriors 75-71 up at three quarter time.
It was end to end stuff early in the fourth with the impressive Taylor hitting a double from outside but Daughtry and Bowler instantly cancelled those out with majors of their own to maintain the visitors advantage. Marian were back in front when Laurynas Andrijauskas from inside and out put the students 86-84 ahead midway through but Bowler and Michalczuk combined to keep the Warriors narrow lead in place but a Taylor three ignited another UCD run that ultimately proved decisive. Two from two from Taylor from the free throw line, followed by Graham converting a shot for a technical foul and Alexander hitting seven unanswered points moved Marian into pole position for the win. A stunning Ronan Byrne three point effort then effectively sealed the contest putting Marian 99-91 up inside the final minute. Jokubaitis added a consolation score late on but Byrne hit the last score of the game to seal the 104-93 win in the end.
Scorers:
UCD Marian: Isaiah Taylor 43, Christian Alexander 27, Tom Maguire and Rona Bryne 11
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors: Alec Millender 29, Jaden Daughtry 16, Steven Bowler and Daniel Jokuabaitis 12
Next up for Warriors is a double header of fixtures beginning with the visit of the unbeaten Killester to the Castleisland Community Centre next Saturday night with tip off at 7.30pm. On Bank Holiday Monday the Warriors travel to Neptune Stadium to take on Energywise Ireland Neptune at 4.00pm with the Mens U20s National League clash between Warriors and Neptune preceding that with tip off at 1.00pm.