Basketball Ireland Mens Super League Round 24
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors 98
Bright St. Vincent’s 83
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors posted their 16th win of the campaign by overcoming Bright St. Vincent’s by 95-83 in their final game of the regular season on Sunday at the Kerry Sports Academy. With a rostered weekend off next week the Warriors can only look on to see what team awaits them in the quarter final of the League at home in the Kerry Sports Academy on Saturday 22nd March.
The visitors had the better of the opening exchanges with a Jaron Thames treble and a major from captain Charlie Coombes helping them to an 11-6 lead. However Daniel Jokubaitis found time and space to knock down two threes and when he and Greg Adon also added from inside the Warriors edged 13-11 ahead. St. Vincent’s American Isiah Gaiter sparked up with a quickfire 6 points and Guillermo Palma with two majors but the Warriors finished the quarter in style with Ryan Leonard twice from distance and another from Jokubaitis and with Mark Stephens, Rap Buivydas and Adon combining, the hosts led 28-25 at quarter time.
Vincent’s got into a rhythm early in the second with scores from Daniel Heaney, Giorgo Tvalabashvili and Jordan Nsimba. The Warriors responded through Steven Bowler, Buivydas and a major from Adon but the visitors opened up a 7 point lead when Coombes struck again from beyond the arc and Gaiter and Dorian Lagoeyte followed suit. The game was then overshadowed by a serious shoulder injury sustained by Warriors Cian Sullivan just before halftime while blocking a certain St. Vincent’s score. At the other end scores late on from Josh Osayanrhion and Adon moved the Warriors closer but they still trailed 46-43 at half time.
A 32 point third quarter from the Warriors impressively set up a game winning lead as the hosts found the Saints’ basket as they pleased. The hosts scores rained down from inside and out with Adon, Buivydas, Stepehens and two more stunning efforts from range from Jokubaitis that spread the game. The Vincent’s resistance came in the form of scores from Tvalabashvili, Coombes and Thames but it was simply not enough to get them back on terms. Osayanrhion with three baskets, Stephens with two and one from Adon piled the pressure on the visitors and Jokuabitis was on hand to add the finishing touch to the quarter with his sixth score from outside to give the Warriors a 75-65 lead heading down the stretch.
Vincent’s rallied early in the fourth and had the gap down to 7 when Thames, Gaiter and Heaney chipped in but Virgin Media MVP Mark Stephens put on a final quarter one man show with a hat trick of scores and no less than six trips to the Saints’ free throw line. Isiah Gaiter lit up late on with a solo eight point volley late on but Stephens accuracy from free throws eased the Warriors to a 95-83 win in the end.
Scorers:
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors: Virgin Media MVP Mark Stephens 27, Daniel Jokubaitis 21, Greg Adon 15
Bright St. Vincent’s: Isiah Dasher 24, Jaron Thames 13, Giorgi Tvalabashvili 12
Thanks to Liam Ryan for the images