Garvey’s Tralee Warriors face a battle in the closing stages of the regulation home and away games if they are to make the playoff of the Domino’s Mens Super League after two home defeats over the double header weekend. For the third time this season they ended up on the wrong side of the result against Ballincollig on Friday night before succumbing to the challenge of EJ Sligo All Stars on Sunday afternoon.
The results leave Warriors in 7th position, holding the second last playoff spot as they enter the crucial final month of the League campaign. They travel to Dublin this weekend to face a tough test away to Killester before three crucial home games against Limerick Celtic, Flexachem KCYMS and Energywise Ireland Neptune ahead of their final regulation game away to Eanna. A chasing pack of three teams are now just one win behind the Warriors as the race of the top eight move into top gear and the situation is very much in Warriors hands but they must secure at least three wins from their last five games and it could require winning away against Eanna to book a vital playoff spot in the top eight.
On Friday night Ballincollig again proved too good for Warriors with an 82-73 win showing that they have eyes on the League prize to add to their National Cup win in January. Warriors edged the early exchanges before Ballincollig launched a 16 point volley with 7 from their Cup hero Jossell Latrell giving them a 16-4 lead midway through the first. The Warriors response was impressive with a 7 point salvo from Daniel Jokuabitis and baskets from Eoin Quigley, Cian Sullivan and Olaf Michalczuk helping the hosts cut the deficit to 23-19 at quarter time.
The Warriors enjoyed their best spell in the second quarter after Ballincollig captain Adrian O’Sullivan struck for a three, replying with interest with a 15 point rally with Steven Bowler, Jordan Perkins, Iggy Hunte and Jokubaitis all getting in on the act. Despite Jossell striking again from inside and out, baskets from Perkins and Quigley gave the hosts to a 40-35 lead at half time.
Steven Bowler does it alone as the Ballincollig team look on
Eoin Quigley scores with a little help from Ballincollig’s Latrell Jossell
Daniel Jokuabitis finishes over Ballincollig’s Latavious Mitchell
The third quarter brought out the best in both teams as they went score for score throughout with baskets from Quigley, Perkins and Hunte countered by effort from Latrell, Josh Steel and Latavious Mitchell that saw Warriors hold their narrow advantage midway through. Majors from Perkins and Olaf Michalczuk kept the home side in front but a Ballincollig volley late in the quarter saw both Mitchell and Steel light up to edge Ballincollig 61-62 ahead at the end of the third.
The Warriors to their credit took back at 71-70 lead midway through the final quarter with scores from Perkins, Hunte, Bowler Jokuabitis and Quigley but a double from Mitchell and one each from Steel and Dylan Corkery kept the advantage to the minimum. The Warriors were limited to a single basket from Steven Bowler for the remaining five minutes as Ballincollig closed in for the kill down the stretch with the outstanding Mitchell and Jossell spearheading an offensive barrage that saw the visitors score 12 of the last 14 points and take the win by 82-73 in the end.
Scorers:
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors: Daniel Jokubaitis 19, Jordan Perkins 13, Iggy Hunte 12, Steven Bowler 12
On Sunday afternoon Warriors took on EJ Sligo All Stars, a team in no mood to follow the form book or League placings and buoyed by their dramatic win over Flexachem KCYMS the previous night, it was the visitors who secured their second win of the weekend by 88-85.
In an entertaining opening quarter the sides went score for score with Steven Bowler, Jordan Perkins, Iggy Hunte, Cian Sullivan and Jordan Perkins in range for Warriors while Eli Lawrence, Obinna Antony Agu and Jordan Hinds were on the mark for the visitors and a Luke McLaughlin three edged Sligo ahead at quarter time by 28-25.
Hinds and Lawrence were providing plenty for the Warriors defence to deal with helping Sligo build a 44-32 lead midway through the second. Warriors pared the lead back to 6 through Perkins and Eoin Quigley but Hinds and Elijah Faapito fired Sligo back into a 12 point lead again late in the quarter before Iggy Hunte struck twice to cut the gap to 53-46 at half time.
Iggy Hunte score despite the efforts of Sligo’s Obinna Antony Agu
Jordan Perkins lays up over Sligo’s Olu Toluogunkoya
Sligo’s offensive threat showed no sign of relenting when Hinds and Agu put 14 between the teams early in the third and despite a Warriors timeout and quickfire response through Hunte, Daniel Jokuabitas and Steven Bowler, it was Hinds again along with Lawrence and Faapito on the mark to keep the advantage in double digits. Hunte and Jokubaitis combined with a 10 point volley late in the quarter to keep Warriors hopes alive but another McLaughin major saw Sligo 73-63 up at three quarter time.
Baskets from Hunte, Quigley and Perkins kickstarted the response Warriors needed early in the fourth but Agu, Hinds and Faapito were pinch-hitting scores to keep Sligo in front and midway through their lead was still 82-74. Agu and Olu Toluogunkoya added for Sligo but Warriors weren’t going down without a fight and a 8 point volley from Hunte added to by Jokubaitis from distance and Perkins from close range put a single score between the sides with seconds left. However, a brave Jokuabitis three point effort rimmed out and Sligo held on for the 88-85 win.
Scorers:
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors: Iggy Hunte 28, Daniel Jokubaitis 17, Jordan Perkins 13
EJ Sligo All Stars: Jordan Hinds 31, Eli Lawrence 20, Obinna Antony Agu 19
