Fresh from their second win in as many weeks, Moycullen welcome UCD Marian to NUIG on Saturday in the hope of exacting revenge for the cruel two-point defeat suffered at hands of the cup champions in the same venue last month.
Tip-off is at 4pm in the Kingfisher Gym and the home supporters will be optimistic that this young but rapidly maturing Moycullen outfit is developing the experience to win games that have previously slipped away.
In contrast to the narrow losses at home in October to Marian and DCU Saints, Moycullen were the ones who snatched victory at the death when Dylan Cunningham scored a three-pointer with six seconds left in the contest and teams tied to win by 74 -71.
The basket gave Moycullen a three-point win and their first victory over a genuine title contender, Neptune of Cork, who are the most successful club in the history of Irish basketball and entered Saturday’s game as southern conference leaders.
In a game that ebbed and flowed, Neptune twice stretched their lead to 11 points , although Moycullen enjoyed a half-time lead, 34 - 33.
Moycullen’s American Luke Enos produced another superb display, once again top scoring with 30 points, but Neptune’s much vaunted offensive firepower appeared to finally wear down the resilient Moycullen defence in the last quarter as the visitors grabbed an 11-point lead with seven minutes remaining.
However Moycullen never panicked. A basket from Enos gave them a deserved lead with less than a minute to go, which was quickly nullified by Neptune’s wily elder statesman, Ger Noonan.
With just over 24 seconds remaining, young Dylan Cunningham took and made the big shot in front of a deliriously happy home support.
“They came out in a different defence to what we thought. I got the ball and I was open so I said ‘why not?’ and put it up. Thankfully it went in,” said Cunningham afterwards.
“Of course it’s only one win, but it’s historic all the same. For a small parish like Moycullen, with local players and one American, to be able to take down a club like Neptune is just incredible, and to make it all the sweeter, we did it here in front of the home fans who have stuck with us through good and bad.”
Moycullen: Luke Enos (30 ), Cían Nihill (22 ), Stephen Tummon (10 ), Dylan Cunningham (9 ), Paul O’Brien (2 ), Michael Dowd (1 ), James Loughnane, Eoghan Maxwell, Nollaig Cunningham, Ian Burke.
