Maree’s u-20 basketballers are on track in their men’s National Cup defence having advanced to the semi-final.
On Saturday in Calasanctius College gym in Oranmore, Maree overcame Templeogue of Dublin by 86-59 and they now will face Neptune of Cork in a mid-January semi-final. Neptune won their quarter-final against Killester in overtime, while on the other side of the draw Blue Demons dispatched Tolka Rovers and will face Swords, who prevailed against Ballincollig.
Maree took nothing for granted against Templeogue, who had edged Moycullen in the previous round, and the home outfit began Saturday’s game in a fiercely intense man-to-man defence. Con Crowley, Colm O’Hagan and Liam Conroy gave the Templeogue backcourt a torrid time right from the tip-off. Ken Hansberry, George Rahmani and Tomas Mitkus rotated shifts to deny passes to the Templeogue big men, and four first-quarter threes – two from Conroy and one apiece from Hansberry and O’Hagan – saw Maree take a big 24-10 lead.
Guards Ciarán Harte and Brian Kelly helped maintain the Maree defensive pressure and the Maree fast-break began to kick in, while Templeogue turned the ball over at an alarming rate. Two more Conroy threes and five from Mitkus helped the home team build their lead to a big 45-18 at the half.
Templeogue were overwhelmed in the third quarter as Maree launched wave after wave of fast-break basketball. Conroy was good for five assists and Crowley for four, while O’Hagan and Mitkus ran in six points each.
With one quarter to go, the home team had taken a huge 71-31 lead, and with Maree’s young guns Enda Walsh, Pádraig Burke, Eavan Finn and Cormac Shields coming into action, Maree eased to a 86 – 59 win. Maree’s Tomas Mitkus was the game’s high scorer with 21 points, while Luke Thompson and Neil Lynch were best for the visitors with 16 points each.
Maree: Con Crowley (4 ), Colm O’Hagan (15 ), George Rahmani (4 ), Liam Conroy (17 ), Ciaran Harte, Brian Kelly (4 ), Ken Hansberry (16 ), Tomas Mitkus (21 ), Enda Walsh (3 ), Pádraig Burke, Eavan Finn (2 ), Cormac Shields.
