Titans BC booked their place in the Division One National League final with an 80-55 victory over Maree last weekend.
That win means Titans will take on Limerick Sport Eagles at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin at 8.15pm on Saturday, April 11. A place among the nation's basketball elite next season is up for grabs.
A team with winning momentum is a dangerous opponent, and Maree learned that the hard way. Titans' imperious form saw them fly out the traps in Calasanctius last Saturday evening. It was always going to be a battle, with no love lost between the two local rivals, but Titans maintained control throughout the contest.
Knockout sport is all about peaking at the right time. It looks like Titans could not have timed their surge in form any better. They will be brimming with confidence on their travels to the capital next weekend.
Umar Rachid has shouldered the scoring responsibility during this end-of-season burst. He was again the standout last weekend, putting up 23 points and getting 13 rebounds for Titans. Yet, this Titans outfit is all about the collective. Declan Gbinigie (16 ) and Fortune Igbokwe (14 ) scored a combined 30 points, while Joseph Coughlan also hit double digits with 10 points. Matthew Sweeney added six points, with Nathan Gbinigie (4 ) and Ben Kelly (2 ) also contributing.
Ultimately, it was the variety in Titans scoring that made the difference. Maree's Isaiah Taylor and Rinor Dragusha netted 39 of their team's 55 points. They remained competitive and refused to give in. A third-quarter fightback in which they cut the deficit to 18 points going into the fourth showed that.
Titans responded in the final quarter to give themselves a 25-point victory and a chance at silverware next weekend.
