An exciting weekend of basketball is promised for An Cearnog Nua, Moycullen as they head into a tough double-header at home in the Kingfisher NUIG gym.
First up is ex-Superleague side St Pauls Killarney on Saturday at 4pm, followed on Sunday at 3pm by the visit of last season’s league champions, and Moycullen’s conquerers in last season’s cup and the previous season’s league final, Tolka Rovers.
With Moycullen currently occupying second place in the league table and with a game in hand over leaders St Mary’s Castleisland, this weekend’s action will provide the club with a real opportunity to take pole position.
They will be buoyed following last weekend’s 76-64 victory over local rivals Titans, who are just two points behind Moycullen.
This first local derby took place on Saturday, and Titans, with an impressive start to the season, must have fancied their chances of a second victory since their formation over their more established rivals.
However Moycullen, despite trailing by seven in the fourth quarter, remained composed to cruise to a deserved, if flattering, 12-point win, 76-64.
Titans began confidently with Paulius Peldezius and Paul Freeman to the fore as Moycullen struggled to find their rhythm. Cian Nihill and Garnett Griffin kept them in touch, but worryingly Glenn Hynes was quickly on three fouls. He responded by nailing consecutive threes to give Moycullen the lead, but another foul forced him to the bench just before the end of the quarter as they led by four, 18-14.
The second quarter saw the game ebb and flow as a classic encounter began to take shape. Rimvydas Visockas stamped his authority on the game for Titans, connecting on a pair of threes to restore their lead, while Darren Callanan chipped in with another pair of impressive scores. Cian Nihill responded for Moycullen and John Cunningham got his first score on his return from injury on a fine assist from Nihill. Glenn Hynes found himself fouled out on another debatable call, but Moycullen edged a further two points ahead, 32-26 at half time.
However the game turned on its head in the third quarter. Titans played some inspired basketball, negating the Moycullen offence and triggering a series of fast-break opportunities on which Freeman and Peldezius capitalised.
Freeman was lethal from the free throw line as the Moycullen lead was slashed. Eoghan Maxwell stopped the rot temporarily for Moycullen with a couple of scores, but Titans pushed ahead with scores from Peldezius, Visockas, and the otherwise quiet Danny Finn. As the quarter ended, Titans were rampant and had turned a six-point defecit into a five-point lead, 51-46.
Titans, sensing victory, extended the lead when Visockas and Peldezius added scores, but Moycullen dug in, and as always, it was their defence that kick-started the comeback as they edged their way back. A pair of threes from Nihill gave them an initial lift and further scores from Griffin, Maxwell, and Mindaugus Kurcenkovas narrowed the gap. John Cunningham tied the game, and when Moycullen drew level, Titans appeared to have no answer. From there to the end Moycullen went on a 13-1 run to close out another win over their local rivals, 76-64.
