Maigh Cuilinn 60 (34)
Neptune 70 (35)
A dream start turned into a nightmare result for Maigh Cuilinn Sunday when they relinquished an early double digit lead to the visiting Neptune of Cork to lose by ten points in the sides’ Basketball Ireland Superleague clash.
In what was an important meeting between teams in a similar position in the Southern Conference, both with a chance of playoffs but both also risking relegation, there was no question but Neptune proved the better squad on the day and were fully deserving of their win.
“It was bitterly disappointing,” said Maigh Cuilinn captain Grant Olsson after the game, which ended Maigh Cuilinn 60 to Neptune’s 70.
“We played some great defence against a team that usually scores north of 80 points but it was one of those afternoons on the other end for us when nothing really flowed and, bar the opening minutes, we never put a run together.”
Maigh Cuilinn converted just 5 of their 24 shots from three point range and struggled in particular with the excellent ball-screen defence that Neptune brought to the game.
At the outset, it appeared like scoring was going to be the least of Maigh Cuilinn’s worries with Ivan Basic, James Connaire and Olsson all getting early baskets within the first three minutes as the home team ran out to an instant double digit lead.
It was to be the best patch of the game for Maigh Cuilinn however and after the 25 points netted in the first quarter, they scored just 35 points from there to the end of the contest.
A key factor was, in fairness, the defence of a Neptune team that would not be known for their prowess on that end of the court, usually being a squad that can outscore the best of them. Nil Sabata was in particularly fine form for the Leesiders and his introduction to the game mid-way through the first quarter was vital. He would end up with 15 points but also register an overall plus 17 for the time he was on the court, a reflection of the impact he had on the defensive side as much as the offence.
A scrappy second quarter plagued with foul trouble for both teams saw the margin narrow and at the half time break there was a solitary point between the teams, Neptune holding the narrow advantage.
A red hot start to the third quarter from Neptune American Che Yasin, who scored on back to back three pointers, helped establish a lead for the visitors that they would never again relinquish.
Foul trouble for Ivan Basic for Maigh Cuilinn seemed to seriously disrupt the attacking rhythm they seemed to have found in prior weeks and with a growing Neptune lead to overcome, the Galway outfit did not put together a sustained enough run to retake the game.
In the end, the ten point win for Neptune was a fair reflection of a game that Neptune did dominate for large periods and while neither team will be happy with how they played offensively, the visitors had some excellent scores when needed.
With the season now entering its final stretch and the need for wins growing in importance, Maigh Cuilinn now host a crucial home game next Sunday (18 February) at 3pm in the Kingfisher in what will be their second last home game of the season. The opponents are Griffith College Éanna.
Maigh Cuilinn Scorers: Grant Olsson 22, Ivan Basic 11, James Connaire 8, Patrick Lyons 5, Joseph Tummon 4, Antonio Molina 3, Josiah Laracey 3, Kyle Cunningham 2, Aitor Perez 2, Cian Carroll, Kevin Nugent, Liam Moloney