The west's awake: University of Galway Maree stun Eanna to clinch first-ever national cup win
SEALED WITH A KISS: University of Galway Maree’s Comhghall McCormack and Mark Thiam kiss the Pat Duffy Cup in celebration. Picture: INPHO/Ben Brady
The Fields of Athenry boomed through Tallaght Stadium at a deafening volume after University of Galway Maree caused a massive shock by winning their first ever InsureMyHouse.ie Pat Duffy Cup in their first final appearance.
The Galway side were massive pre-match underdogs and their supporters were outnumbered by about five to one as DBS Eanna came with a huge following, hoping for redemption after their Cup final loss in 2020.
But the Oranmore side made a total joke of their underdog tag by winning 74-69 thanks to a phenomenal 35-point performance from their diminutive American point-guard Jarrett Haines.
He scored eight points in the first quarter, just a basket in the second but from half-time the game turned into the Haines Show as the bubbly 23-year-old New Yorker sank shots from distance and repeatedly belied his height under the boards, earning 10 free-throws and sinking each and every one.
He'd plenty of help under those boards in big men like Zvonimir Cutuk and Rodrigo Gomez who created lots of space and diversions for him.
But Haines magical hands, speed and vison completely stole the show as the Galway side became the first Connacht team to bring the blue riband back across the Shannon since the great Ballina side in 1996.
Maree blasted out of the traps into a 9-0 leads thanks largely to their towering Croatian centre Cutuk.
Two big threes from Marko Tomic and another from Joshua Wilson got DBS Eanna level by the eighth minute and Maree held just a point lead at the end of the first quarter (21-20).
Two more big threes from Eanna’s American point guard Wilson and Alex Dolenko kept them within a point and then Wilson pulled out another big three to give them their first lead.
Tomic then drew a foul, sank both from the line and suddenly the Dubliners' immense bench strength started to tell, with Stefan Desnica coming in to pull out three big blocks while two free throws from Kristijian Andabaka helped them reverse the lead by half-time (34-42).
Then Haines took fire, providing the assist for a Gomez alley-oop and his own three to snatch back the lead, going on to score 11-points in the third - just bettering Danice’s contribution of eight – to pull the lead back to 50-48 on the final turn.
The last quarter was still a nerve-shredder as Tomic and two threes from Cork native Sean Jenkins kept the Dubliners just a point adrift but, as the clock ticked down, no one could stop Staines, who memorably pulled out one impossible jumper from one corner followed by a huge three from the opposite side.
When he pulled up for another spectacular three to put them nine points clear the most famous victory in Galway basketball victory was theirs.
It was heartbreak for Eanna who had lost the 2020 final to Templeogue, though with a much different team.
They brought a huge and raucous following and in Tomic, Jenkins, Wilson and Kristijan Andabaka, who all hit double figures, they had their own heroes and much greater bench depth but Wilson lost the battle of the point guards to a man who appeared to do the impossible at times and really left his imprint on a unique Irish Cup final.
74 (J Haines 35, Z Cutuk 15, R Gomez 13).
69 (M Tomic and S Jenkins 14 each, J Wilson and K Andabaka 11 each).
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