Maree deny local rivals to complete Division 1 double

Maree 83

Titans 60

MAREE basketballers completed their first ever Cup and League double with Saturday night’s clear-cut Division 1 National League win over Titans in the Jez.

They travelled to Dublin Sunday with the title in the bag, and beat runners-up Kubs in the last game of the League, to take the title with nine points to spare. The Galway side finished the season with a 17-1 win-loss record, ahead of Dublin’s Kubs who tied with Killorglin on 14-4, while Kilkenny finished on 10-8.

This is the Oranmore-Maree team’s second National League title in three years. Galway basketball is having a great year, with NUIG Mystics also on course for a women’s cup and league double

The Jez derby held real banana skin potential for Mare , as perennial rivals Titans, though sitting bottom of the table, were clearly a better team than this season’s form suggested. They’d beaten Kilkenny a few weeks previously, and were eager to rain on Maree’s parade.

Peldzius hit the first nine points of the game to give Maree a 14-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. A tense, at times tetchy first half ended with the lead limited to 35-27. However, Maree’s pace, passing, power and depth told in the third quarter, as they raced to a 61-42 lead going into the final period.

It wasone they never looked likely to surrender, winning somewhat easily in the end. Enda Walsh (17 pts) had a huge game in the paint, as did Cathal Finn (14) on the point, while Paulus Peldzius (21) posed a threat every time he touched the ball.

Ken Hansberry took some big rebounds, and Colm O’Hagan put trademark pressure on the Titans guards in midcourt. The athleticism and aggression of Darren Callanan was evident, and the pace of Pádraig Burke impressed. Big Sergi Marti played honest and smart.

Young Eoin Rockall improves every game and scored on some nice drives. Charlie Crowley was comfortable on the ball and youngsters Stephen Cummins and Ciarán Blaney look to have what it takes, while Adam Cox sat out injured. For Titans, this season’s American Cory Starkey was best with 23pts.

Just 20 hours later, in Dublin’s Carroll Arena, a tired but happy Maree came from five down with one minute to go, in a topsy turvy clash with second-placed Kubs, to win by twoand end the campaign in style with their 15th straight league win of the season, and 19th consecutive win overall.

Coaches John Finn, Mike Lynch and Manager Mary O’Hagan somehow contrived an amazing double for Maree, despite the difficulty associated with three of the team commuting all season from Dublin, and one – Darren Callanan – from England. It will be a hard act to follow, even for Maree.

Remarkably, Maree have lost just four games in three entire National league seasons, finishing champions in 2014 and 2016, and runners-up in 2015 (despite the still keenly felt tragic loss of 22 year-old Donie Greene).

For seven players, 2016 brought a second MNL title; Ken Hansberry, Cathal Finn, Colm O’Hagan, Darren Callanan, Charlie Crowley, Enda Walsh and Pádraig Burke.

Although Maree lost 2014 starters Liam Conroy to Canada and Matt Hornbuckle home to the USA, along with Con Crowley, James Brophy, Ciarán Harte, Dave Hansberry, Jan Stec, and Brian Kelly, the indepth strength of the club is evidenced by the progression onto the squad of local young guns Eoin Rockall, Ciarán Blaney and Stephen Cummins.

With classy veteran guard Paulus Peldzius and smart, solid big man Sergi Marti also joining this season, Maree had the deepest team in the league and it showed. The 2016 National Cup and League add to the 2014 League title, the 2010/11/12 Under 20 Men’s National Cup three-in-a-row, the 2008/09 Under 18 Men’s National cup two-in-a-row, and the Under 18 Women’s National Cup.