Maree confirm mastery over Moycullen rivals in derby tie

MAREE claimed local bragging rights in the Men’s Super League on Saturday night, pulling off an 8-point win over Moycullen to complete the double over their Galway rivals, having won the reverse fixture 70-58 back in September.

There was no joy for Maree’s Women’s Super League side, however, as they fell to a 10-point defeat in Cork; while NUIG Mystics also suffered defeat on the road, going down by 16 to Castleisland.

There was Galway success on the national scene at the weekend with Titans winning the Girls’ U-18 B Shield title in Gormanstown.

Maree 87

Moycullen 79

Maree completed the Galway derby double in Oranmore on Saturday night to all but assure their place in the Super League next season, while edging the visitors closer to the relegation play-off, writes Steven Heaney.

The win moves Maree on to 15 points, six clear of Moycullen (it is three points for a win), but the fact they have won the head-to-head between the sides effectively means the gap is nine points.

Dublin Lions prop up the table with a blank to their name after 12 games, with Moycullen immediately above them, and while there are 10 games to go in the season, Moycullen will need a serious run of results to overtake a Maree side that is now in a three-way tie just outside the post season play-off places.

As has been the case in a couple of other games this season, Moycullen did start the tie quite well. They found their rhythm early, and dictated the game’s pace. Brothers Dylan and Kyle Cunningham each had their best offensive games of the season thus far, each connecting on three-pointers as Moycullen opened up a 24-17 lead at the end of the first quarter.

They extended that lead early in the second quarter but Maree, comfortable in their home gym, began to settle more as the first half went on with their American player, Darin Johnson, looking particularly sharp, and having trailed by 12 points at one stage, they had the gap back to five (43-38) at half-time.

Maree came out of the changing reinvigorated in the third quarter. Johnson continued to attack the Moycullen defence, which began to get into foul trouble, and Maree went from five down to one up, 47-44.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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