InsureMyVan.ie Men’s Super League 2023/2024 – Round 19
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors 85
Moycullen 79
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors will take on Éanna in the quarter final playoff of the InsureMyVan.ie after the final round of regulation fixtures were played out over the weekend. The Warriors got back to winning ways on Saturday night with an 85-79 win away to Moycullen to provide a timely arrest to a run of four straight defeats while the combination of Éanna’s win in Belfast and Killester loss at home to Maree cemented the arrangements for the quarter final playoffs. Elsewhere Maree will host EJ Sligo AllStars, Killester will travel to Ballincollig and Belfast will play UCC Demons who easily accounted for a very disappointing Flexachem KCYMS in the final regulation game on Sunday.
The Warriors and Moycullen produced an entertaining and highly competitive contest for a game that both sides knew had little bearing on the final League standings. The Warriors were assured of a third place finish and Moycullen were already regulated from Super League prior to tip-off but in fairness to both teams that may not have been apparent to those that saw the game unfold. The hosts got off to a flying start and a combination of scores from captain Grant Olssen, Connor Dickerson, James Connaire and Aitor Perez gave the Galway side a 14-7 lead midway through the first. Elijah Weaver fired Warriors in the contest hitting 12 of the Tralee sides 16 first quarter points and when Caleb Jordan opened his account the sides were level at 14-14. However Olssen struck from outside and with a last gasp fast break lay-up with 3 seconds on the clock to see Moycullen lead 19-16 at quarter time.
Olssen continued to cause the Warriors defence problems and he hit 12 straight to push the hosts ahead mid-way through the second. Weaver was equally elusive on offence and with scores from Jordan and Cian Sullivan adding to Daniel Jokubaitis’ first three of the night the sides were level again at 29-29. A hat trick of tough banked efforts from Jokubaitis edged the Warriors ahead for the first time in the game but Moycullen hit back through Olssen, Dickerson and Ivan Basic to take a single point lead 40-39 to the long break.
The Warriors came to terms with the threat posed by Olssen in the third and after the Moycullen captain struck again early in the third it was to be his only score of the quarter. Cian Sullivan, Jokubaitis and a cracking three from Eoin Quigley saw the Warriors hit the 50 point mark and lead by 5 as the clock ticked down to the fifth minute. However the hosts wrestled the lead back with efforts from either side of the arc from Basic before Warriors took the upper hand in the contest with a decisive run late in the quarter and back to back threes from Weaver, one of the scores of the night from distance from Joshua Osayanrhion and a huge dunk from Sullivan had the visitors leading 68-61 at the end of the third.
Eoin Quigley’s second major pushed the advantage out to 10 early in the fourth and despite a three from Patrick Lyons and a quickfire 8 points from Basic, Jordan and Jokuabitis added to keep the Warriors lead intact. Moycullen quickly landed in foul trouble as they tried to repel the advances of Elijah Weaver but the Warriors new signing was flawless from the line hitting six from six before the hosts talisman Olssen surrendered his fifth foul to put an end to his influence on the contest. Back to back threes late on from Ivan Basic typified Moycullen’s effort on the night as they fought right to the very end of their 13th season in the top flight and to keep the Warriors honest. However, two clutch free throws from Caleb Jordan in the final seconds sealed the final score line of 85-79.
Scorers:
Moycullen: Ivan Basic 30, Grant Olssen 27, Aitor Perez 6
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors: Elijah Weaver 30, Caleb Jordan 13, Daniel Jokubaitis 11
Thanks to Liam Ryan for the images.