Moycullen’s Superleague basketball team finally got back to winning ways at the weekend when they overcame Killorglin by 82-57 in the NUI Galway Kingfisher Gym.
An incredible long-distance shooting display, coupled with some tenacious defence, ensured Moycullen were out in front for the majority of the game.
A delighted Moycullen assistant coach Gerald Lyons was delighted with his team’s performance.
“It was just one of those nights where everything was clicking for us,” he said. “The three-point shooting is great, but what we’re happiest about is our defence - that was what allowed us to be so productive in our scoring.”
The home side did start the game somewhat tentatively, and Killorglin were first on the scoreboard - their early scoring catching Moycullen unawares.
However Moycullen soon settled, and Isiah Harris-Winn, Dylan Cunningham and Cian Nihill each nailed some three-point shots, and quickly helped turn a seven-point deficit into a two-point lead.
From the second period on, Moycullen played much more assuredly.
Offensively, they moved the ball well, and continued to find scores from distance - Harris-Winn connected on a trio of three-pointers in the period. And defensively Moycullen looked sharp. Joshua Marvesely, one of Moycullen’s youngest players, peformed a stand-out job at the defensive end, essentially taking Killorglin’s American player out of the game.
Sharpshooting
More baskets from Nihill, Cunningham and Paddy Lyons ensured Moycullen were up 41-35 at half-time.
In the third quarter, Moycullen continued to rely on the three-point shot, and it continued to work. Their sharpshooting seemed to completely deflate Killorglin, whose offence faltered, and more scores from Nihill, Marvesely, Harris-Winn and Lyons put more daylight between the sides.
Moycullen did not let up offensively in the final period, and Harris-Winn propelled the Galway men into a 20-point lead mindway through, while at the other end Marvesely continued his man-of-the-match performance, suffocating each every Killorglin player who stood in front of him, picking up a block, a pair of steals, and a handful of offensive rebounds for his efforts.
Moycullen came away comfortable victors with a remarkable 16 three-pointers, while holding Killorglin to a mere 57 points.
The win could prove to be an important one for Moycullen come the end of the season. They still lie in bottom position of the Superleague, but are now only one game behind Killorglin.
With seven of their remaining eight games at home, they will need to make the advantage count.
Moycullen: Isaiah Harris-Winn (21 ), Cian Nihill (15 ), Paddy Lyons (12 ), Jashua Marvesely (12 ), Dylan Cunningham (11 ), Joseph Tummon, (5 ), Kyle Cunningham (2 ), Conor Curran (2 ), Paul Kelly (2 ), James Lyons, Dara Kenna. Coach, John Cunningham; assistant coach. Gerald Lyons.
