Super Swords Thunder slay UCC Demons
UCC Demons’ dreams of a third National Cup title on the trot were stuffed in merciless fashion last night by a powerful statement on intent from Dave Baker’s Swords Thunder.
Baker’s boys rained down scorers from all corner of the Mardyke, and completely shut down a malfunctioning Demons offence in a surprisingly one-sided semi.
If Tempelogue - or Killester for that matter - think their main rivals for Cup glory hit the buffers last night, they might want to rethink.
In only their second season as a Superleague outfit, this was a fairytale display, agreed Coach Baker.
“We were very good last week against UL, but to come down to Cork against a class side like Demons and produce that performance, was thrilling. But we knew we would have to produce something special.”
From guard Isaac Westbrooks - son of Irish basketball legend Jerome - to hot-handed Pole Michael Goj to the Ukrainian Alex Dolenko, Swords put together their most complete performance of the campaign. Five players hit scoring double figures.
Demons had been in holes before. But in all four quarters they looked like a side that had misplaced the ability and the will to dig in when under-performing. A perfect 24-0 season can do that to you.
They’ve given up two Superleague losses already this campaign but the notion that Colin O’Reilly’s squad could flick the Cup switch last night, while seductive, was unrealistic.
What they did bring into last night’s semi was an inconsistent streak of form. Adding a strange torpor to that made the cup holders vulnerable, and Swords Thunder were quick to notice and quicker still to capitalise.
Behind an energetic first two periods from Alex Dolenko, Westbrooks and the Spaniard Sergi Guardia, the Dubliners looked business-like from the get-go.
Coach Baker would have been particularly pleased with their zone defence.
With Colin O’Reilly benching himself with two fouls in the opening half, the lack of an outside threat from Demons encouraged such a defensive shape from Swords. They led 23-16 after the first quarter, Dolenko bagging a four-point play, and Westbrooks chipping in 3 as he tallied 11 for the half.
By the break, Demons were flat, the home crowd was either disengaged or bewildered, and the scoreline of 50-37 was in no way flattering to Thunder.
Demons needed a spark. Player-coach O’Reilly finished the half with a paltry 4 points. Their top scorer was Kyle Hosford on 9.
And they couldn’t get near the Thunder basket.
On the flip side, Mike Garrow dunked on Demons to finish with half with an appropriate exclamation mark.
Dolenko, undrafted in the NBA lottery last year, sashayed in for an easy two in the opening exchanges of the second half, 55-39.
Goj, who hit five three-pointers, kept a tight rein on Demon ambitions, but Hosford’s 13th point underlined that if anyone was going to spark the Cork side, it was him - one of six Demons players on Hibernia duty recently in Europe.
Demons, going for a third Cup success in a row, trailed 58-46 with 6.46 left in the 3rd quarter but the ease with which Thunder were penetrating the Demons backdoor was almost embarrassing.
Roy Downey hit a 3 at 6.10 in the third to make it 60-50 before Colbert began to show some offensive leadership with his tenth point of the game.
Suddenly the game was down to eight but again Mike Garrow nailed two from inside for Swords - his tenth point of an impressive night.
It was a recurring theme. Demons porous defence made it nigh impossible to eat into the lead.
Hosford hit a three with 4.30 left in the third to make it 62-55 but the Goj responded in kind for Thunder.
Even with a quarter left, Demons tetchiness and frustration was manifestly evident.
Colin O’Reilly missed a lay-up, Hosford was called for an intentional, which Kevin Lacey exacted full retribution for. 72-57 Thunder.
It would get better for Baker’s boys.
Isaac Westbrooks nailed a three from so far downtown, it needed a taxi.
Guardia added two more and if there is such a thing as tagged and bagged in Cup basketball, this was it.
79-59 in the last minute of the third quarter of a Cup semi against Demons. In Cork.
Who’d have thunk it?
Westbrooks and Hosford swapped threes, Colin O’Reilly drained another to keep the hushed hope of a comeback alive, 86-73 with 7.41 remaining.
But Thunder kept on rolling. Dolenko slipped in for a pair of baskets as the Dubliners closed in on the ton (90-73).
They got there with 1.35 left, Dolenko appropriately wishing a pair from the line to keep the gap a tidy 20 (101-81).
As long as Thunder didn’t produce their best Friday night lights in Cork.
That’s needed in a fortnight at the National Arena.
Isaac Westbrooks 25, Michael Goj 17, Alex Dolenko 17, Sergi Guardia 13, Mike Gallow 12, Kevin Lacey 10
Kyle Hosford 24, Lehman Colbert 21, Colin O’Reilly 10, Roy Downey 9, Adrian O’Sullivan 8.
Team Montenotte Hotel v Meteors BC, Mardyke Arena, Cork, 8pm; Maxol WIT Wildcats v Pyrobel Killester, Mardyke Arena, Cork, 6pm.
Pyrobel Killester v Templeogue BC, Mardyke Arena, 4pm.
C&S Blue Demons v Pyrobel Killester, Neptune Stadium, 2pm; Fr Mathews v Maree BC, Neptune Stadium, 4pm.
Liffey Celtics v Killester, Parochial Hall, Cork, 12pm.
Maree BC v Neptune BC, Neptune Stadium, Cork, 10am; Tolka Rovers v Moycullen BC, Neptune Stadium, Cork, 12pm.
Brunell Ladies BC v Portlaoise Panthers BC, Parochial Hall, Cork, 10am; DCU Mercy v Fr. Mathews, Parochial Hall, Cork, 2pm.
Oblate Dynamos v Fr Mathews, Parochial Hall, Cork, 10am; NUIG Mystics v Ulster Rockets, Parochial Hall, Cork, 12pm.
Moycullen v St. Vincent’s 1, Neptune Stadium, Cork, 1pm; BFG Neptune v Templeogue, Neptune Stadium, Cork, 3pm.
DCU Mercy v Brunell, Parochial Hall, Cork, 2pm.
Tridents, Dublin v Limerick Celtics, St. Mary’s Hall, Portlaoise, 10.30am; Ballincollig BC v Muckno Lakers, St. Mary’s Hall, Portlaoise, 12:30pm.
Cork Celts v St. Brendan’s Tralee, St. Mary’s Hall, Portlaoise, 2.30pm; UCD Marian v BC Leixlip Nemunas, St. Mary’s Hall, Portlaoise, 4.30pm.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
