Basketball Ireland Mens Super League Round 19
Maree 54
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors 91
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors will rarely win a Super League as easily as their 91-54 dismissal of Maree at the Kingfisher Arena at NUIG on Saturday night. In doing so, they now sit third on the table, three wins behind leaders UCC Demons with a game in hand and two wins behind second placed Killester. The Warriors simply coasted to victory against the side that looked nothing more than a shadow of its former self. Maree had won both Super League home and away fixtures between the sides in the last two seasons but Saturday night saw them trail the Warriors at the end of all four quarters before ultimately succumbing to a 37 point defeat in the end.
The Warriors started without the services of captain Eoin Quigley but quickly set about building an early lead with Mark Stephens with a hat trick, Daniel Jokubaitis with a double and Rap Buivdas with a major score putting them 13-4 up. Maree stalwart Eoghan Rockall knocked down a three to cut the gap but a basket each from Brandon Mahan and Buivydas either side of Jokubaitis with a typical effort from distance had the Warriors 22-9 up at quarter time.
The Warriors continued to dictate the terms of the game early in the second with a major from Mahan and efforts from Greg Adon, Stephens and Cian Sullivan and despite three pointers from Joshua McGettigan and John Burke for Maree, the Warriors led 31-17 midway through the quarter. A volley of scores then put clear water between the sides with players queuing up to get to the Maree board and Jokubaitis, Mahan, Stephens, Josh Osyanrhion and Ryan Leonard all added to give the Warriors a 45-21 advantage at the long break.
Brandon Mahan fired another warning shot early in the third landing his second three but Maree to their credit replied with a quick run to cut the big lead in half. Zvonimir Cutuk, McGettigan and Miles Brown were all in range and when Rockall launched his second three of the game the gap was down to 50-34. However that was as good as it got for the hosts as the Warriors scored at their ease with Adon, Mahan, Jokubaitis from either side of the arc and Leonard following his lead from distance the game was all over bar the shouting with the visitors 67-37 up at three quarter time.
Maree are a proud side and despite the very obvious gulf in class in the game, sparked up to shoot a dozen points early in the fourth to add some respect to their score. McGettigan with six and threes from Cutuk and Daniel Oyeleye were countered by a double from Sullivan and a classy slalom to the board from Stephens. The Warriors saw out the win by adding scores as they pleased with Stephens and Zigi Kaletka on the mark and Osayanrhion and Mahan both firing in from inside and out, the contest tailed off to its inevitable conclusion with the players shaking hands before the final buzzer sounded.
The Warriors are well aware that much bigger and stiffer tests await in the final rounds of games as the playoffs come into sharp focus with just over a month left in the regular season. For Maree, it now looks as good as certain they will be playing National League Division One basketball next season.
Scorers:
Maree: Joshua McGettigan 16, Zvonimir Cutuk 14, Miles Brown 10
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors: Mark Stephens 22, Brandon Mahan 17, Daniel Jokubaitis 16
Next up for the Warriors is Round 20 of the Basketball Ireland Mens Super League next Saturday 15th February, when they take on EJ Sligo All Stars at the Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh Sports Hall at the Kerry Sports Academy in Tralee with tip off at 5.30pm.