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Alan Cantwell on Garvey’s Tralee Warriors win on the road on Saturday night…
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors 87
Maree 67
Action from the game. Photo by Liam Ryan
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors remain top of the Super League table after an 87-67 win away to Maree in Oranmore on Saturday night.
In addition to the win, it was another night where results also went the way of the reigning champions with a number of their title rivals namely; Templeogue, UCD Marian and Killester all beaten in their respective fixtures.
Eoin Rockall opened the scoring for Maree but unfortunately for the Galway side it was the one and only time they led in the entire game.
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The Warriors reaction was to fire in 17 unanswered points with two scores each from Ivan Bogdanovic, Eoin Quigley and Jonathan Lawton, one from Paul Dick and a three from Daniel Jokubaitis.
Maree had to respond and did with a three from Spainish Bosman Orioles Balsells Plaza and scores from John Burke, American Darin Johnson and Paul Freeman to cut the gap to 5.
However Darragh O’Hanlon got a look at the basket to fire in a three and two from the line from Keith Jumper gave the Warriors a 22-12 lead at the end of the first.
Action from the game. Photo by Liam Ryan
Paul Freeman hit two early baskets for Maree in the second but for every score the hosts could manage the Warriors were replying in kind.
Four scores from Bogdanovic along with three from Lawton began to put more daylight between the sides. Johnson was trying his best to keep the Warriors honest but even when Stephen Commins hit a three the Warriors lead was still in double figures.
Two big threes from Quigley and Paul Dick kept Maree at bay despite two from John Burke and one from Johnson late on left the score at the long break 51-34 to the Warriors.
The pace of the game slowed noticeably in the third and in an evenly contested 10 minutes the sides went score for score throughout.
Close range efforts from Lawton and Quigley cancelled out scores from Johnson, Burke and Charlie Crowley and when Jokubaitis landed his second three the Warriors eased 18 ahead.
Johnson, Freeman and Balsells cut the lead to 12 but Quigley again was on hand to step to the basket and when O’Hanlon and Jokubaitis hit four from four from the line, the reigning champions were 67-49 ahead as the sides turned for home.
Action from the game. Photo by Liam Ryan
Maree are a strong fourth quarter team and are notorious for never giving up but any hopes they had of replicating their recent upset win over Templeogue were undone by a hat trick of three pointers from Rap Buivydas and two identical arced efforts from Quigley early in the final quarter.
Rockall with an inside and outside score, Commins and Johnson continued to chip away at the Warriors lead but Bogdanovic and Quigley helped the visitors push out to a 24-point lead.
Freeman who was a handful inside throughout for Maree helped himself to six point late on but Pa McCarthy and yet another from the fit again Eoin Quigley sealed a 87-67 win in the end.
Scorers:
Maree Darin Johnson 20, Paul Freeman 16, John Burke 8
Warriors Eoin Quigley 21, Ivan Bogdanovic 16, Jonathan Lawton 13
• The win keeps the Warriors on top of the Super League table by virtue of points difference over DBS Éanna, Coughlan C&S Neptune and Belfast Star although Éanna and Neptune both have games in hand.
The Warriors travel to the capital next Saturday night to take on the only team without a win in Super League – Abbey Seals Dublin Lions. Tip off in Coláiste Bríde in Clondalkin is 7.30pm.
