Neptune keep hopes alive with narrow win over Tigers

NEPTUNE needed to beat the Tigers to keep alive any hope of making the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague quarter-finals in March and they eventually did by the narrowest of margins.

However, it was the Tigers who started stronger and after nine minutes of play, they into a 17-27 lead. An inspired Neptune side fought back to finish the first quarter just four points in arrears, 25-29.

Neptune maintained their intensity in the second and opened with a three-pointer from Fitzgerald. With the score 33-33, they hit five more three-pointers and finished the half with a deserved 58-45 lead.

Through the third quarter Neptune failed to maintain the same high standards, scoring only 11 points and losing Dejan Smith through injury with five minutes left.

The Tigers reduced the gap to three points at the end of the third and they continued to put the home side under pressure in the fourth quarter, eventually taking a one-point lead, 76-77, with six-and-a-half minutes left.

The lead continued to change hands but Neptune eventually ran out winners 88-87.

Elsewhere, after a tight first half (55-52) with the lead changing hands on several occasions, UCD were eventually beaten 86-106 by MDS Star.

The students fell apart in the third quarter to lose it by 16 points and they continued the trend in the final quarter, eventually losing by 20. Nate Connolly for Star was a key player for the Belfast team, scoring 40 points.

In Dublin, the Merry Monk outfit from Ballina started brightly against Shamrock Rovers Hoops, but Hoops’ Ian Cathcart hit two threes to give the home side a 26-25 lead at the end of the quarter. In the second Evan Perrlerin came into his own for the Monks and hit six points.

Scott Kinevane lit up the house with three threes in a row and it seemed like the Hoops would take command.

With the score at 69-66 at the end of the third, the teams then went basket for basket in the final period. Patrick Pope led the charge for Ballina and Reuben responded for the Hoops.

As the tension mounted it was always going to be hard to separate the teams. In the end Reuben kept his nerve to hit four from six at the foul line to seal the victory, 89-81.

However, following defeats by Killarney last weekend and Hoops on Friday, Team Merry Monk got their superleague aspirations back on track with a good win over Roma St Vincents in Ballina on Saturday.

A strong final minute in the first half by the visitors saw then go into a nine-point lead at half time (52- 43) as Joe McGurk scored two baskets in succession followed by a big three-pointer from Simon Flynn.

In the third quarter the Monks set about taking control and, after St Vincents extended their lead to 12 in the opening minute, Ballina tightened up their defence and the Dubliners found it much more difficult to score.

Dan Zapior hit a big three-pointer for Ballina and team captain Ronan McGarrity hit four baskets in quick succession to put his side into the lead (61-58) midway in the quarter.

St Vincents’ captain David Donnelly did his best to stop the turnaround by hitting a three-pointer, and then a two, but his side only managed 13 points for the period compared with 30 by the Monks who had a 73-65 lead at the three-quarter stage.

Donnelly and Turner did their best to get their team back into the game in the final period, cutting the deficit to seven points with three minutes left in the game. Then Pope landed a massive three pointer, from way out to extend the home lead to 10.

Evan Pellerin and Pope added further baskets as the Monks remained in control and finished deserving winners, 96-87.