Keelan Cairns buzzer-beater sees Ballincollig pip Tralee in thriller at Neptune Stadium

The Cork side earned a place in the cup decider in the most dramatic of circumstances.

Sat, 06 Jan, 2024 - 22:14

Kieran Shannon, Neptune Stadium

Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig 78 Garvey’s Tralee Warriors 76

A stunning Keelan Cairns buzzer-beater won Superleague champions Ballincollig a ticket to their first-ever Pat Duffy insuremyhouse Superleague National Cup final where they’ll meet fellow Cork team UCC Demons after withstanding a stunning comeback from 2022 double winners Garvey’s Tralee Tigers in an epic semi-final on Saturday night in another packed Neptune Stadium.

Ballncollig had appeared to be cruising into the final a couple of minutes into the fourth quarter with a 70-53 lead, but Tralee rallied like the champions they are to go on a 15-0 run and even take the lead by a point in the last minute.

The sides were tied with 9.5 seconds when Ballincollig had a sideline possession. Their first option was Shawndale Jones who drove to the hoop as he had often successfully all night. He was blocked at the rim though, only for the ball to break to the corner where Cairns, who had scored only three points up to that point, somehow got off a turnaround jumper in the face of two outrushing opponents to drain the shot with the scoreboard going red.

Tralee overcame a sluggish start, bouncing back from 8-2 down to go 11-10 up themselves and make it 20-16 by the end of the first quarter. Although they’d to bench American Jarvis Doles after only three minutes after he’d picked up his second foul, they were dominating the boards (9-5), containing Andre Nation, and making the perimeter shots Ballincollig’s defence were daring them to take.

Brunell set up Fr Mathew's final showdown with win over Killester

In the second quarter that all changed. The O’Sullivan brothers, Ciaran and Adrian, each drained huge three-pointers to ignite their crowd. The interior defence of Nico Roso and Keelan Cairns was limiting Tralee having any joy in the paint, while now they were the ones either getting second chances or preventing them; in the second quarter it was they who would win the rebound count by four.

And crucially, Nation just took over; after a subdued opening quarter in which he’d only scored three points, he’d go for 14 in the second; in one stretch he’d score seven straight to put his team 37-31 up.

Tralee got a lift just before half-time with Kieran Donaghy producing a great steal and assist for Daniel Jackobitis to lay-up on the buzzer to leave them just three down, 39-36, and sprinting down the tunnel at the break.

Kieran Donaghy of Tralee Warriors reacts after his side lose to a last minute basket. Picture: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

But on the restart it was Ballincollig who bolted out, racing into a 52-41 lead, prompting John Dowling to use up his first timeout of the half after less than four minutes. Shawndale Jones was driving and scoring at will, regardless of whether it was man or zone Tralee were putting up.

A couple of minutes into the last quarter they stretched that lead to 17, but Tralee refused to go away. Donaghy, while he’d finish the game scoreless, was inspirational on defence, locking down Nation and James and conjuring up steals while Caleb Jordan caught fire.

But in the closing minutes they missed a couple of key shots and free-throws, and with 10 seconds to go, failed to get a shot off at all before the shot clock went. That presented Ballincollig with one more chance and Cairns his place in Cup folklore.

Scorers:

BALLINCOLLIG: Andre Nation 27, Shawndale Jones 26, Adrian O’Sullivan 13.

TRALEE: Caleb Jordan 27, Ryan Leonard and Rap Buivdyas 11 each, Daniel Jokubaitis, Eoin Qigley and Jarvis Doles 8 each.