Galway city Titans enjoyed a winning start to the men's National League division one basketball campaign, defeating Sligo All Stars with an impressive 86-76 display.
With 10 new players and a new coaching team of Jack Considine and Cullen Donovan (USA ), Titans were unsure how they might fare in this opener. However they began the game with an air of confidence and a serious full court press, giving the visitors little space to settle, and led the game 25-13 at the first quarter's end.
Sligo refused to capitulate, and some serious shooting from the arc put them in a 43-45 lead at the half. The third quarter was all square, and with Toms Fabriccious forced out to injury, the Titans had to batten down the hatches and be wiser on their shot selection.
The fourth quarter saw Gene Williams (USA ) and Sligo All Star Kaylim Noel play out a duel of fantastic outside shooting, with a virtual tie on the scoresheet. The difference in the end was the offensive and defensive excellence of Titan's Taofik Mustaffa who owned the boards at both ends.
Rando Kozlov held his resolve throughout and showed his prowess on the perimeter to watch his team open their campaign with a satisfactory 10 point victory.
