InsureMyVan.ie Men’s Super League 2022/2023 – Round 9
Bright St. Vincent’s 77
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors 93
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors secured their third win of the League campaign with a performance of real quality both offensively and defensively to overcome Bright St. Vincent’s by 93-77 on Saturday night. The Warriors led at the end of all four quarters and by as much as 21 at half time before seeing out the win in style by 16 points in the end. The win importantly keeps the Warriors very much in the hunt for the fourth playoff place as both fellow contenders Flexachem KCYMS and UCC Demons also secured wins over the weekend.
The Warriors got off to a fast start with a three from Daniel Jokuabitis and a double from Eoin Quigley before Robbie Graham, Donovan Fields and Stefan Zecevic combined to ease the hosts ahead. Dre Jackson opened his account before threes from Martin Neary and Graham gave Vincent’s an 18-14 lead midway through the quarter. Jokubaitis continued to find his range from inside and out and with Jackson, Kieran Donaghy and Matija Jokic also on the mark the Warriors wrestled the lead back. A three from Charlie Coombes and scores from Zecevic and Fields closed the gap but at the end of a high scoring opening quarter the Warriors led 31-27.
The second quarter saw the Warriors outscore their hosts by 28-9 and completely spread the game with an impressive display of scoring at one end while limiting the Vincent’s offence to taking tough shots at the other. A three from Jokic set the tone before Steven Bowler and Jackson chipped in with a score apiece. Jokubaitis then lit up to fire in a sensational four scores in a row before Fields stopped the rot for Vincent’s with four points from a lay up and the free throw line. Jokubaitis then took his first half tally to 25 with another trademark three before Jokic, Quigley and three from three from the line from Aivaras Ousis saw the Warriors take a commanding 59-38 lead to the long break.
A quick fire double from either side of the arc from Kieran Donaghy along with scores from Jokic and Jokubaitis maintained Warriors control of the game. Vincent’s response was limited to another three from Neary and a hat trick of scores from Fields but when Jackson helped himself to back to back lay ups and a floated effort from inside the Warriors pushed further ahead. Fields and Zecevic edged Vincent’s a little bit closer but Jackson had the final say in the quarter to give the Tralee side an unassailable 79-55 advantage at the end of the third.
The Warriors were on the mark again early in the final quarter with Aivaras Ousis firing in a cracking corner three but Donovan Fields who was impressive throughout for Vincent’s posted a defiant 13 point salvo to keep the Warriors honest. With the precious three League points secure, Jackson, Jokic, Jokubaitis and Quigley all helped themselves to scores late on to cement the confidence building win ahead of another cross conference date in Dublin this weekend against Griffith College Templeogue.
Scorers:
Bright St. Vincent’s: Donovan Fields 26, Stefan Zecevic 14, Robbie Graham 9
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors: Daniel Jokubaitis 32, Dre Jackson 19, Matija Jokic 18
Next up for the Warriors is another trip to the capital, this time to face arch rivals Griffith College Templeogue at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, tip off next Saturday night is 7.30pm.