Another big weekend for Templeogue men
IT PROVED to be yet another great weekend for Templeogue Basketball as their Division Five and Under 18 Mens teams both completed a league and cup double.
The former secured the divisional prize after seeing off a gritty Ballyfermot Bulls 58-43 on Friday night, with team mascot and honorary captain for the night Finn Dempsey, the son of player Mick Dempsey, raising the trophy for the team.
After a tentative start, Templeogue began taking their chances and pulled seven points clear by the end of the first quarter.
Yet Ballyfermot, with a full squad at their disposal, could not be shaken off so easily, and matched TBC basket for basket early in the second, although the eventual champions did managed to extend their lead to 13 points by the break.
Bulls reduced the deficit to just four points early in the third, but, following a time-out and stern words from coach Eddie Guilmartin, Templeogue pushed their lead back into double digits, allowing Guilmartin to run his bench in the closing minutes.
It was a great achievement for the team and Coach Guilmartin who has played in every single season of Templeogue’s 41 year history.
Meanwhile Templeogue Under 18 team’s 54-47 point triumph over KUBS saw them add the league title to the Dublin Cup they won back in February.
Games between these two sides have always been tight affairs, with each team taking a win in their two encounters this season.
Looking to avenge their loss in the National Cup semi-final in January, Templeogue, despite being a point down after the first quarter, receive a boost in the second when KUBS big man Eoin McCann was fouled out before the break.
Yet Templeogue had to contend with foul trouble themselves as key point guard Sean Daly was forced to spend some time on the bench.
Still they managed to build up a nine-point lead by the break, rounded off by a great team score converted by captain Sam Walsh on the buzzer.
KUBS hit back hard in the third quarter to reduce the gap to four points thanks to two late three-pointers from Caleb Brady.
Yet TBC started the final quarter well and pushed their lead back out to 10 points with just a couple of minutes remaining.
Still KUBS were not done and hit back with two huge three pointers from their captain Jack Kelly, yet TBC maintained their composure to take the win.
A number of these players will now move on to senior basketball and will compete for places on the Super League team.
Indeed Sam Walsh, Sean Daly and Mark Gilleran will now concentrate on Irish squad training and the European Championships in Estonia this summer.
