Abrakebabra Tigers are the 2007 Men's SuperLeague National Cup champions after a stunning team display saw them beat UCC Demons 85-70 at the National Basketball Arena this evening, writes Fran Burke.
Dave Fanning lead the charge for the Tralee side and was instrumental to their success on the day.
His performance earned him the Most Valuable Player Award amongst the Irish media who turned up in abundance to witness one of the best atmospheres present at the National Cup finals for many years.
The Tigers pushed forward from the tip off with Wider Auguste and Fanning running rampant in the offensive areas.
Demons struggled to get moving in the opening exchanges and with just over four minutes played the Kerrymen were ten points ahead, 12-2.
Demons clawed the deficit back to seven points thanks to some wonderful offensive plays with LeShon Sheffield and Benito Flories benefiting in the scoring stakes.
Seven points remained the gap at the end of the opening quarter with Tigers leading 21-14.
The second quarter saw the Tigers accelerate further into the lead with Fanning netting a superb three point score.
The Tigers' point guard trumped this with another three pointer straight after to demonstrate his desire for National Cup glory.
The Demons' retort was swift from Niall O'Reilly and Flories whose three point efforts found the net with ease.
The Tigers retained a consistent eleven point lead over their Munster rivals with Kerry GAA All Star Kieran Donaghy getting in on the scoring act with a smashing dunk and constantly urging his side onwards.
The gap between the sides was all the more apparent when Fanning's basket midway through the quarter increased his side's lead to 15 points.
It was do or die now for Demons and Pat Price's men went on a scoring spree with scores from Sheffield, Flories and Michael Pilchta to close the gap to just six points.
Dave Falvey will have been shocked to see his side lose a large advantage but Tigers went back to work and at the halfway stage the scoreboard displayed 44-37 in the favour of the Tralee side.
In the penultimate period, Demons came racing out of the traps with Niall Murphy endeavouring to close the gap to four points.
Tigers responded with a string of fine scores from American star Fanning once again, with John Teahan popping up with a fine score for good measure.
The game then witnessed a Demons backlash with Flories and Murphy reeling back the rampant Tigers to five points.
The Tigers continued to probe the Demons defence with Fanning again leading the line along with Quirke and James Mooney, but it would be The Demons who would finish the game on the stronger footing, dominating in defensive rebounds and Murphy showing a keen eye for the basket to end the quarter 64-59 behind and still within a shout of turning the game around.
Sadly for The Rebels, the current SuperLeague Southern Conference leaders were not ready to watch the silverware slip through their fingers.
Mooney and Auguste scored freely around the key and with ten blocks during the game, Auguste ensured that Demons would not mount a comeback.
The Tigers suffered a blow in the latter stages of the period when Donaghy ran into foul trouble but Falvey ran his bench with efficiency throughout the afternoon and a reserve was on hand at all times.
The Demons put everything into a late revival but The Tigers closed the game down and with the clock running down the finishing line appeared ever closer.
The beaten 2005 finalists gained their revenge on their victors that day and Abrakebabra Tigers lifted the cup, winning out 85-70.
Top scorers:
Abrakebabra Tigers
Dave Fanning 24
Wilder Auguste 16
Michael Quirke 13
UCC Demons
Niall Murphy 20
LaShon Sheffield 16
Michael Quirke 13
MVP: Dave Fanning (Abrakebabra Tigers)
