Conor Meany: Rasheed buzzer-beater sees Glanmire take control in title race
CENTRE OF ATTENTION:Â The Address UCC Glanmire's Khiarica Rasheed under pressure from Singleton's SuperValu Brunell's Edel Thornton and Lauryn Homan at the Parochial hall. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Glanmire look set to repeat as league champions after a dramatic Cork derby win over Brunell on Sunday. Since losing to Meteors in the league on October 22nd, Glanmire have won 10 league games in a row and now have a two-game lead over Meteors, while also holding the head to head advantage. In the nine wins before Sunday’s derby, Liffey Celtics were the only team to get within single digits of Glanmire. An inspired Brunell performance changed that as the two teams were tied right up to the last second.
Khiarica Rasheed was the hero though as she stepped up and hit a buzzer beater off a smart inbounds play to win 75-73. The win sees Glanmire in control of the title race and it would take an incredible combination of results for the title not to go back to the Leeside. For Brunell, the arrival of a new American Akilah Bethel was just what the team needed, and her 18 points almost got them over the line. With Bethel and the Irish core, Brunell will have their eyes set on the sealing a playoff spot and causing havoc in March.
Over recent weeks Meteors have had a slump in performance that has unfortunately coincided with some of their most important games. The blueprint to beat them has become clear as teams clog the middle defensively and on offense teams shoot the ball well from the perimeter. Liffey Celtics followed that game plan to perfection hitting 11 threes on their way to a 98-88 win on Saturday. For Liffey Celtics it was the latest in a yo-yo season that has seen them be frustratingly inconsistent. This win though gives them momentum towards a playoff spot which remains in the balance. For Meteors, this loss and Glanmire’s dramatic win likely ends their title challenge so they will need to regroup and get ready for the playoffs.
Demons' unbeaten run in the MJ Randolph era continued with an impressive 87-81 win against Killester in Dublin. Under Danny O’Mahony this team have been able to score a lot this season, but it was their defense in the fourth quarter that held Killester to just 13 points, that won the game. Randolph is currently the best player in the country, and he gives Demons a chance to win every game. What sets the American apart from other good players is that he can score in such a variety of ways. On Saturday he got to the free throw line, hit five threes and critically hit seven two-point shots too. Some Americans that can shoot from the perimeter shy away from contact in Ireland and rely too much on their shooting ability, but Randolph has the perfect combination of skill and physicality. Demons have a nice run in for the final four games and if they manage to win them all they will finish top of the Southern Conference.
Belfast Star and Emporium Cork Basketball served up a brilliant battle in Belfast with the home side coming out victorious 84-80 after overtime. The game had an incredible 19 lead changes and 15 ties before Star eventually won. Ballincollig will be disappointed with their five points in overtime but to go to Belfast and almost win without the services of Adrian O’Sullivan bodes well for them. For the home side the performance of OisĂn Kerlin will please Adrian Fulton. Kerlin, who turns 27 next month, has bounced around the league for a number of years but the 6’9 big man has found a home with Star and is averaging 11 points a game over the past three games. With Max Cooper out, Star need Kerlin to be a consistent force on the inside if they are to challenge for the league title.
In a rematch of the Cup Final, University of Galway again came out on top beating DBS Eanna in Galway 62-50. In a physical, low-scoring game, Eanna did a good job defensively on Cup MVP Jarrett Haines, limiting him to just nine points, but Irish guards Cathal Finn and Eoin Rockall combined for 30, which proved the difference. For DBS Eanna, 50 points is an incredibly low total especially given the talent available to them. Eanna look like a team out of sync at the moment as they try to reintegrate all of their returning players. Ahead of the Cup Final people wondered whether Eanna’s injuries had actually helped them before Christmas as it helped them establish very clear roles. Now with more talent available, offensive performances like Saturday will see those questions return.
Waterford Wildcats got some revenge for their cup semi final exit by beating Killester 71-63. Tommy O’Mahony’s team were able to control the input of Chyna Latimer who managed only 14 points after being unstoppable in the semi-final. Outside of the regular contributors Waterford got huge minutes from Miriam Liston and Helena Rohan and their toughness was enough to get Wildcats over the line. The win was crucial for Wildcats who now hold a one game lead over Killester for the fourth spot in the standings. Killester have the nicer schedule for the rest of the year and would still be slight favourites to finish higher, but Mark Grennell will need improved performances from his team who are now 2-3 in the league in 2023.
Fr Mathews push for the final playoff spot was dealt a cruel blow on Saturday as they lost in triple overtime to NUIG Mystics. In a game that lasted 55 minutes of play, the advantage went with the younger and deeper Mystics team who were able to outlast their Cork opponents. Foul trouble eventually took its toll on Mathews as Shannon Brady, Grainne Dwyer, Amy Murphy and Lila Szucs all fouled out. It got so bad that Mathews finished the game with just four players. The loss for Mathews coupled with Liffey Celtics big win means that the race for the final playoff spot is incredibly tight with only four games to go.
Tralee Warriors have kept the pressure on Neptune as both teams have eight wins (Tralee have one extra loss). Tralee used a dominant first quarter (27-12) to take control against Sligo and they never looked back winning 84-67. Daniel Jokubaitis is playing well and when he does it tends to be hard to beat Tralee. Tralee will see their next three games as very winnable with Killester at home likely the only challenge. If they can win those three, they will set up a final day clash with Neptune with the last playoff spot on the line. Neptune for their part were in fine form on Saturday handing UCD Marian a record 60-point loss. Neptune have Killester and Belfast coming to Cork and if they can navigate both of those challenges, they just need to beat Tralee or lose by nine or less to seal the final playoff spot. Colin O’Reilly will have his sights set on loftier goals so a strong month leading into the playoffs could help build some valuable momentum.
With just four games to go in the Men’s Super League, there is no clear favourite for the league title and every team has at least one question mark over them. With the format of the season being single-game elimination in the playoffs, all of the posturing for playoff spots will mean very little as we get into what should be a wild playoff race. As important as consistency usually is in a league season, this year’s playoffs will all be about who gets momentum at the right time. I’d say if you asked the 14 league coaches right now who will win the league you will get a minimum of five difference answers. It will be brilliant for the neutrals and March Madness will have a home in Irish basketball.
It was another positive performance for the Irish Senior Women as they battled away against a good Czech Republic team on Thursday. Unfortunately, turnovers proved costly and a sloppy last two minutes of the first quarter led to a 10-0 run for the Czechs. These mid-season windows will always be a challenge for Ireland as our amateur players try move from Super League standard to international standard in a heartbeat. One thing Ireland will have to look at for future years is how these windows are addressed. Is it possible to have a free weekend leading into international breaks to allow the team to get together and try have a familiarity advantage over their opponents? Equally on the return from these breaks, clubs will have to look at their schedules. The players played a tough international on Thursday night and less than 48 hours later most were playing critical league games. At a minimum no games should have happened on Saturday. These are all welcome problems for Irish basketball to have to figure out, but we need to align the club and country agenda, so everyone benefits.
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