The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Warriors battle to Cup victory over Killorglin
NATIONAL CUP ROUND 1 Keanes Supervalu Killorglin 60 Garveys Tralee Warriors 83
KEANES Supervalu Killorglin welcomed Garveys Tralee Warriors last Friday night to Killorglin sports complex in the much anticipated first round of the Pat Duffy Hola Hoops Cup.
Tralee were definitely the form team coming into the match, while Killorglin have struggled this year, winning just one of their first five league matches. That said, this was a cup game, and a local derby on top of that, so in many ways, form went out the window for this one.
There was a huge crowd at the game, with the queue starting to form at 6pm for an 8pm tip off – just fantastic to see that happening in Kerry and shows you just how popular Superleague basketball has become.
Warriors set the tone straight away, as Eoin Quigley immediately stole the ball after Keanes won the possession from the tip off, but Tralee weren’t able to punish Kilorglin with a score. Indeed, this was the situation for the first seven minutes of the game, with Killorglin being very slow to settle down.
Paul Dick was in flying form for Tralee and he got the scoreboard going with a free throw, before adding a two pointer after being slipped in by Kieran Donaghy. Donaghy added his own basket soon after, as did Keith Jumper and Tralee had raced into a seven nil lead, as while Killorglin had plenty of opportunities, they just couldn’t get the ball in the basket.
With 3:26 left on the period, player coach Colin O’Reilly needed to stop Tralee’s run and called the first time out of the game. After some stern words from him plus the introduction of veteran Declan Wall and Darragh Jones, Killorglin came out flying for the remainder of the quarter – scores from Pranus and new American signing Ja’Kwan “Slinky’ Jones, plus a buzzer beating three pointer from Wall left a single point in it when the quarter ended. Q1 score Keanes Supervalu Killorglin 13 Garveys Tralee Warriors 14.
Pranus got the second going for Killorglin when he banked a basket old school off the back board, but Keith Jumper immediately replied for Tralee. Killorglin debutant Rami Ghanem then made a layup, but his marker Paul Dick then did the same at the other end.
The game was a real ding dong derby which the huge crowd were playing their part in, with both sets of fans screaming the house down. Darragh O’Hanlon made a three to get the warriors noses in front before Kieran Donaghy showed he can do it from outside as well as inside, when he made a three of his own.
Tralee were starting to get a grip on the game now and when Paul Dick added yet another score, it gave them a solid twelve point lead with 3:22 left on the clock. Tensions threatened to boil over at this point, and the refs struggled to keep control of the situation, but eventually order was restored. When the buzzer went for the big break, Tralee’s lead was reduced to 10 with the score Keanes Supervalu Killorglin 31 Garveys Tralee Warriors 41.
Tralee really took control of the game in the third as Jonathan Lawton, Fergal O’Sullivan and Keith Jumper all making unanswered baskets for Warriors. Keanes were only hanging on at this stage and when Donaghy made his second three pointer of the night, it left 16 between the teams with 6:21 left on the clock.
Colin O’Reilly was trying to lead by example , while Alann Thomas and Darragh Jones were giving it all for Killorglin, but every time Keanes made a basket, it seemed Warriors went up the floor and got one of their own, and Killorglin just couldn’t eat into the Tralee lead. At the end of the quarter, it was Keanes Supervalu Killorglin 45 Garveys Tralee Warriors 66.
Keanes really needed to get some early scores in the last period to try and make a game of it and they did just that as Rami and Declan Wall both made unanswered threes for Killorglin, which gave a glimmer of hope to the home team, but Tralee were having none of it though and they responded with two two-pointers, one of which came an outstanding behind the back pass from Paul Dick, which wouldn’t be out of place in the NBA.
O’Reilly and Thomas for Killorglin, and Quigley and Jumper for Tralee exchanged baskets, before who else, but Kieran Donaghy hit the last basket of the night, to confirm the victory for Tralee Warriors by 23 points in the end.
Warriors now move on to the next round of the cup, while
Killorglin, unfortunately, are out.
Top scorers
KEANES SUPERVALU KILLORGLIN: Rami Ghanem 14 pts, Allen Thomas 13 pts, Colin O’Reilly 13 pts
GARVEYS TRALEE WARRIORS: Jonathon Lawton 14 pts, Ivan Bogdanovic 14 pts, Paul Dick 11 pts