Nov 11,2024
Defending Men’s Super League champions Griffith College Éanna were taken to double-overtime before finally managing to pip EJ Sligo All-Stars 100-99 in an edge-of-the-seat encounter in Coláiste Éanna on Saturday night.
Darren McGovern’s side had to fight their way back from 10 points down early in the fourth, Mark Reynolds holding his nerve from the free-throw line to tie the game up and force added time.
Tyland Crawford, on his debut for the Dublin side, put up a combined 13 points with Sean Jenkins in overtime, taking their game total to 51, while Joshua Wilson carded 11 rebounds and nine assists to help see Éanna scrape over the line against their Sligo rivals, who had five players in double figures, including Jonathan Brown (25) and Thomas Child (22).
The victory marked a return to winning ways in the league for Éanna, after successive reversals at the hands of Energywise Ireland Neptune and Killester saw them lose ground on table toppers, Garvey’s Tralee Warriors, who remained six points clear at the summit following their facile 107-75 win over Maree in Tralee Sports Complex that extended their record to 7-0.
The Kerry side took all four quarters as Brandon Mahan, Rapolas Buivydas and Daniel Jokubaitis put up a total of 57 points, while Cian Sullivan mopped up 10 rebounds against a Maree outfit for whom Joe-Junior Mvuezolo and Jarett Haines each hit 20.
Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU mounted a huge fourth-quarter comeback to dig out an 84-79 victory over Flexachem KCYMS in the early Saturday evening Men’s Super League fixture in MTU Arena.
The homeside appeared to be on course for a third straight defeat as they found themselves nine-points adrift of their opponents heading into the closing seven minutes of action.
But timely threes down the stretch by Keelan Cairns and the newly-acquired Quashawn Lane, who also delivered in the paint and from the free-throw line, helped see Ballincollig pull this one out of the fire.
Todd Wolfe also played a big part in this victory for the Cork side, chalking up 25 points and eight rebounds to help counter to combined 66 from Flexachem’s Jeffrey Okeke, Beni Fungula and Jordan Blount.
Charlie Coombes’ last-minute bucket was all that separated Bright St. Vincent’s from Templeogue as they edged a 74-72 win in Saturday night’s bottom of the table Dublin derby in St. Vincent’s CBS.
In what was a frantic battle between two teams desperate for a second win in six league outings, it was the hosts who clinch the much-desired spoils, thanks in no small measure to Jaron Thames’ 24 points and the combined 23 rebounds that Giorgi Tvalabeishvili and Eoin McCann soaked up.
While the win lifted St. Vincent’s up into a share of ninth place, Templeogue have been left rooted to the foot of the table, despite the 55-point contribution they had from Immanuel Allen and Tavias Fagan.
In Sunday’s Cork derby, it was UCC Demons who took the bragging rights as they chalked up a huge 106-76 triumph over Energywise Ireland Neptune in Mardyke Arena.
The hosts took every quarter in this showdown as Sean Clancey put up 20 points, while Elijah Tillman and James Hannigan each mopped up 10 under the boards and combined for 33 points to help their side move up the table for a share of third place alongside Killester.
