Maree maintained their excellent form in the National League division 1 with a big 91- 36 away win over Portlaoise Panthers on Saturday night.
Titans’ home loss to St Mary’s Castleisland on Sunday in Knocknacarra means Maree takes sole possession of second place on 19 points, two behind league-leaders Swords Thunder, and three ahead of Titans.
Six different Maree players scored in double figures, led by Cathal Finn and Ken Hansberry with 15 apiece. The mid-season break comes after Maree’s home clash with Tolka Rovers of Dublin in Calasanctius at 7.45pm on Saturday December 14.
The game in Portlaoise saw Maree start at a furious pace and race into a 21-0 first-quarter lead, with starters Liam Conroy, Cathal Finn, Matt Hornbuckle, Ken Hansberry and Colm O’Hagan all getting on the scoresheet.
Panthers finally got going, but ended the quarter 23-5 and by the half, six more Maree players had contributed scores and the lead had extended to 45 -18. A broken nose sidelined Hornbuckle in the third period, but with Paul Jacobsen, Pádraig Burke and Jasiec Stec combining for 28 points, Portlaoise’s misery continued. The gap widened to 69-31 going into the last quarter before it was extended to 91. In holding their opponents to such a low tally, Maree continued to be the stingiest defence in the country.
Maree; James Brophy (2 ), Matt Hornbuckle (5 ), Liam Conroy (10 ), Kenneth Hansberry (15 ), Paul Jacobsen (8 ), Charlie Crowley, Cathal Finn (15 ), Pádraig Burke (10 ), David Hansberry (2 ), Jasiec Stec (10 ), Colm O’Hagan (13 ), Ciarán Harte (1 ).
