Maree's basketballers set the record straight

MAREE basketballers stay top of the Southern Conference National League following their Saturday night defeat of Blue Demons of Cork. The tie, played in Calasanctius Gym Oranmore, saw Maree win well, 82-56.

Nineteen-year-old Colm O’Hagan was the team’s high scorer with 17 points. He and another six of the Maree NL squad will line out on Saturday in the National Basketball Arena Tallaght (2pm) when the club defend their U20 National Cup title in a final clash with the same Cork club.

Maree went into Saturday’s game with a 7-1 record, their sole loss to date being away to the same Demons in the UCC Mardyke back in October. With Demons since slumping to second from last, the Galway men were keen to put the record straight.

Right from the tip-off, they took control of the game. Threes from Liam Conroy and Con Crowley gave the hosts an early lead before Danny Finn added six to put Maree 18-7 ahead at the mid-point of the first quarter.

Demons’ Captain Shane McCarthy tried to keep his team in touch with eight points, but the period ended with Maree amassing 27 points to Demons’ 11. Sarunas Zvirblinskas and Darren Callanan were in control of Maree’s defensive boards, and the team’s pace was already telling.

O’Hagan’s three got the second quarter underway, and he had notched 10 by the half, as had Danny Finn, to move the lead to 45-24. It was Maree’s to lose from there. Apart from the usual tight Maree man-to-man defense, the hosts were securing more than their share of offensive rebounds, and this too was a factor in the comfortable home win.

Zvirblinskas, who finished with a double double of 13 points and 14 rebounds, took eight Demons’ boards, while Callanan pulled down four. In the third quarter, Maree made sure there was no comeback, limiting the Leesiders to 15, while adding 18 themselves; with Dave Hansberry good for five.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.