NUIG basketballers complete notable Intervarsities double
NUIG's men and women pulled off a marvellous double at the Intervarsities basketball finals which were played at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown last weekend.
NUI Galway 77
UUJ 69
The NUIG men’s team claimed their second ever ‘A’ Intervarsities title with a 77-69 win over University of Ulster in Jordanstown. They needed to fend off a strong finish from the tournament hosts, but had the firepower to win out for the first time since they hosted the competition back in 2010.
UUJ Captain Marty McDonald said: “They were physical inside. We were chasing them for the whole game. The belief was there that we could come back but we left it a bit late. My foul trouble was an issue and we missed a couple of shots we should have made. We fought hard for the whole tournament and it was a good game in the end. They deserved the win.”
NUIG were stacked with forward prowess and Maree All-Star Kenneth Hansberry wasted no time in getting his first four points of the day. Hansberry’s physicality and combination with Darryl Durham was giving the Westerners plenty of good looks inside and a 22-14 lead for the first quarter.
NUIG went 38-23 clear but their momentum seemed to stall until strong offensive rebounding from Durham gave him a three point play and a tip in. It was a frustrating opening half for University of Ulster head coach Pat O’Neill. The hosts were poor on shot selection and it was the 13 points from Ronnie Thomas and a late second quarter three pointer from Marty McDonald that gave them any hope.
Ronnie Thomas made 12 points in a row in the third, but they were interspersed with paint points from NUIG and the Galway side were 20 points clear before UUJ managed to stir things up. They opened the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run and successive three-pointers from McDonald left the score at 68-60 with five minutes left.
Stephen O’Brien and Padraig Burke were working hard to close down the open shooters, and though the gap closed to a two possession game with one minute left, a bounce-pass inside to Adam Hillis was just out of reach and McDonald took the early applause when he fouled out.
"Towards the end we were getting worried,” said NUIG Captain Kenneth Hansberry. “They’d brought it back to six points but we just kept working at putting the ball back inside. We’re bigger than most teams and we know how to make it work for us.”
Mike Murray had a son and a daughter on the winning Galway squads. NUIG’s Basketball Development Officer said: “It’s means a lot for the sports department in NUIG, our Athletic Director Cathy Hynes and for basketball in general locally. It’s going to be a major major boost. We can’t ask for more really.”
NUIG: D Durham (22), K Hansberry (19), S Candon (7), S O’Brien (6), P Burke (4). Substitutes: R O’Sullivan (15), R Gilson (5), J Tummon.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.