Basketball
Loftus Recycling 48
CHM Ballon 70
In round two of the National Basketball League, Team Loftus Recycling suffered defeat at the hands of visitors CHM Ballon in a disappointing game in Ballina Sports and Leisure Centre last Saturday night.
The home side started well and led by three points at the end of the first quarter (13-10 ) with most of their scores coming from Dara McGarrity and Peter Papic. However, in the second period, Ballon, comprising mainly Eastern European players now resident in Ireland, found their rhythm and scored 24 points compared to just 15 for the home side. Despite joining the game himself, Ballina coach Liam McHale failed to inspire his team and Ballon piled on the pressure with Mazvydas Cepliauskas and Audrius Dimiciukas each hitting a brace of three pointers to put their team six points ahead at half time (28-34 ).
In the third quarter, things got no better for Loftus Recycling and weak defence combined with some poor passing cost them dearly. Ballina, on the other hand, started the third period with another big three-pointer, this time by Vladas Ignatavicius. McGarrity responded for Ballina with a three-pointer and Taofic Mustapha came into the game more for the home side, hitting two baskets and a further two points from the free-throw line. McHale introduced Colin O’Malley for a period and Niall Forbes hit a three to keep his team in the game. However, by the end of the quarter, Ballina had extended their lead to 12 points with the score at 40-52.
While Loftus Recycling reduced the deficit to nine points early in the final period, any hopes the home supporters had of a comeback similar to the one they had orchestrated two weeks earlier, against Demons, were quickly dispelled as the visitors landed three more baskets before Papic scored again for Ballina. In fact the home team managed only eight points in the final quarter and Ballon cruised to an easy victory. Neil McHale and Blaise Devaney joined the action in the final minutes and the younger McHale hit a nice basket which turned out to be his side’s final score.
With Ronan McGarrity still unavailable and Paul Barrett recovering from surgery, Ballina face an uphill struggle as they travel to Portlaoise for a National Cup first round game on Saturday at 8pm in St Mary’s Hall, and to Dublin (Tolka Rovers ) and Castleisland (Garvey’s St Mary’s ) over the following two weekends.
