Titans emerged victorious in Saturday night’s National Cup game in Renmore with a 93-75 win over Maree.
Thye result would have come as a surprise to Maree who just two weeks ago secured a 30-point league win in Oranmore over their Galway rivals.
Titans’ Sean Carroll hit 24 points, while best for Maree was Liam Conroy with 15.
Titans now head on to the National Cup semi-finals, while Maree will now have to concentrate on consolidating their lead in the National League.
Although Conroy started the game with a three, it was Titans’ Conal McMichael who set the tone for the rest of the game with 10 first-quarter points, including a couple of three-pointers. Long-range shooting was one of the main differences over the course of the game, with Titans hitting nine to Maree’s three. Free-throw shooting was also a factor with Maree hitting just nine of 24.
Both teams started the game in man-to-man defence, and right from the off, Titans were the more productive in the paint, where Paul Freeman’s performance was far better than it had been in Oranmore. He finished with 18, as did teammate Alberto Garcia.
Maree’s Con Crowley also hit a three in a high-scoring first quarter, with Titans taking it 27 – 22. The second period featured a lot of unfinished Maree lay-ups, although Conroy, who also had defensive rebounds, and Peter Finn hit six apiece.
Meanwhile, Sean Carroll added a trio of long threes for Titans and Freeman was good for seven as each team hit 20 points to maintain Titans’ half-time advantage.
Despite seven third-quarter points from Maree’s Darren Callanan, Titans extended their lead. Paulius Peldzius hit Titans’ last seven points of the quarter, and Titans went into the last period 65 – 57 ahead.
Maree’s Sarunas Zvirblinskas was perfect in grabbing six from the free-throw line, but in offence overall Titans were the more direct.
Although Maree twice cut the Titans lead to three in the middle of the final period, with Crowley threes and Callanan drives, Garcia hit seven of his own for Titans. With minutes to go, Maree were forced to press, and ultimately to put Titans on the free-throw line. A late shemozzle saw three ejections, and although the absence of a game-clock was unhelpful, Titans were full value for their 93 -75 win.
Titans: Sean Carroll (24 ), Chris Joyce, Conal McMichael (12 ), Paulius Peldzius (15 ), Toms Fabriciuss, Glen Hynes (5 ), Ignacio Torrens (1 ), Shane O’Meara, Rimvydas Visockas, Antoine Jouineau, Paul Freeman (18 ), Alfredo Garcia (18 ).
Maree: Con Crowley (13 ), Colm O’Hagan (2 ), Dave Hansberry (2 ), Danny Finn (5 ), Darren Callanan (13 ), Niall Higgins, Sarunas Zvirblinskas (10 ), Liam Conroy (15 ), Ken Hansberry (1 ), Peter Finn (14 ), Ciaran Harte.
