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Alan Cantwell reports on another win for Warriors at the complex on Saturday night…
Action from the game. Photo by Liam Ryan
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors 77
Griffith College Templeogue 68
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors overcame Griffith College Templeogue with a hard fought but decisive 77-68 win at the Tralee Sports Complex on Saturday night.
The Warriors led at the end of all four quarters securing their third win of the campaign, and their fourth in a row over the Dublin side, with a solid defensive effort throughout allied to some excellent shooting from Jon Lawton, Paul Dick and in particular Eoin Quigley who hit four big threes individually and collectively turning the game in the Warriors favour.
It was the visitors that were first out of the blocks in a keenly contested opening quarter and Darren Townes, Jason Killeen and Neil Randolph fired in early to see Templeogue lead 7-0.
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But Eoin Quigley opened his and the Warriors account from inside and out and Paul Dick and Ivan Bogdanovic brought the Warriors back on terms.
The teams went score for score with Lawton leveling at 17 apiece but Ivan Bodganovic gave the home side the initiative with back to back scores and added a superb three on the buzzer to give the Warriors a 26-18 lead.
The Warriors built on the late first quarter momentum to push into a double figure lead early in the second and when Quigley, Rap Buivydas and Lawton were all in range the lead was out to 32-20. Two big threes from Quigley and Daniel Jokubaitis along with scores from Bogdanovic and Paul Dick pushed the Warriors further ahead.
Action from the game. Photo by Liam Ryan
Templeogue’s resistance was coming from Townes, Killeen and Murphy who cut the gap to 8 but the visitors could not generate any real offensive rhythm. When Quigley and Lawton drilled in two huge threes late on the Warriors took a 48-34 advantage to the long break.
Keith Jumper fired in early in the third either side of two from Killeen to take the Warriors to the 50 point mark and when Paul Dick and Quigley again fired down three point efforts the Warriors were looking comfortable with a 14 point lead.
The Warriors defence was continuing to frustrate the Templogue attack but the visitors were afforded a route back into the game with a series of free throws however Killeen, Xabier Arriaga, Puff Summers and Murphy could only land 6 from 12 from the line. When Lawton took his chances from distance and then from inside the Warriors were 64-49 up turning for home.
Templeogue continued to struggle against the Warriors rearguard in the final quarter but scores from Murphy, Randolph, Killeen and Summers kept the visitors in the game.
However the Warriors were finding their scores when they were needed and kept their rivals at arms length in the final minutes with another three from Lawton, a lay up from Paul Dick and a Bogdanovic effort from inside.
Action from the game. Photo by Liam Ryan
Templeogue looked to their stalwart players for some late inspiration and Killeen and Summers combined for 12 points but Templeogue looked like a team that had accepted their fate and their team fouls allowed Quigley and Lawton to add another 4 points to the Warriors tally. With the scoreboard reading 77-68 the players were shaking hands before the clock had fully counted down.
Scorers:
Warriors: Jonathan Lawton 20, Eoin Quigley 18, Paul Dick 15
Templeogue: Jason Killeen 18, Lorcan Murphy 14, Darren Townes and Puff Summers 13
• Next up for the Warriors is a Cup and League double header next weekend. Firstly they travel to take on Keane’s Supervalu Killorglin in an all Kerry National Cup first round clash on Friday night at 8.00pm in the Killorglin Sports Complex before heading to the IWA in Clontarf for a Super League Sunday date at 3.00pm with Pyrobel Killester.
