C&S Neptune will play Garvey's Tralee Warriors in the InsureMyHouse.ie National Cup final after they beat NUIG Maree 103-92 in their semi-final at Neptune Stadium.
In a tight opening quarter, NUIG Maree got out to an early 8-4 lead, reduced by a Cian Heaphy dunk. Heaphy had a strong performance overall, with 23 points, highlighting why he was selected in the extended Ireland senior men’s squad for last November’s FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers.
Nil Sabata brought it level on the six minute mark, at 13 each, and C&S Neptune would lead 24-20 by the end of the opening quarter.
Heaphy picked up 11 points in the second quarter, including two more dunks, the last of which made it 47-40 with a minute and a half to go. Shortly afterwards Eoin Rockall missed two free throws, while Roy Downey converted both of his and the four point swing meant a 49-40 lead for C&S Neptune and they would go into half-time with a 10 point cushion, 53-43.
C&S Neptune captain Roy Downey hit back-to-back three’s to make it 65-51 with a little over three minutes gone in the third and the game appeared to be getting away from NUIG Maree, however the Galway club responded with layups from Lovre Tvrdic and Deondre Jackson to make it a seven point game, 67-60, at midway point.
Richaud Malik Gittens landed a three point jump shot at the second attempt with just under four minutes to go in the quarter and it was 72-60 to C&S Neptune. It prompted an immediate timeout call by NUIG Maree head coach Charlie Crowley, but C&S Neptune stretched their advantage to 16 points by the end of the quarter, leading 81-64.
NUIG Maree were chasing the game, but kept plugging away, Jackson’s dunk made it 97-85 with three minutes to go. But C&S Neptune weren’t to be caught, a dunk from Gittens in the final minute capped of a fine individual performance, he ended with 16 points, 10 rebounds and two assists.
Earlier Garvey's Tralee Warriors advanced to the decider with a 79-70 victory over DBS Éanna at Neptune Stadium.
The imposing Nikola Roso top scored on 24 points, while Ireland international Eoin Quigley also had a big game, scoring 19 points.
The Kerry club established a 5-0 lead in the opening minute, thanks to Aaron Calixte’s three-point jump shot and an Quigley lay-up.
The score of the opening quarter was undoubtedly the dunk by Devin Gilmore three and a half minutes in, to reduce the deficit to 9-6.
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors were struggling to contain Stefan Zecevic; he scored 11 points in the opening quarter to help Darren McGovern’s side to a 22-19 lead.
Three minutes into the second quarter DBS Éanna stretched their advantage to seven points, 34-27, thanks to a Romonn Nelson three-point jump shot. Quigley responded with a dunk, to close the gap once more.
But DBS Eanna held another seven-point lead by the midway point, 39-32, courtesy of a Nelson lay-up and Glimore’s second dunk of the day.
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors forward Rolands Elsknis took a heavy fall late in second and hobbled off, but managed to return in the third. In the meantime the 6’8" Roso was making telling contributions to reduce the deficit to 43-30 by half-time - the forward had 17 points in the first half.
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors went in front three minutes into the third thanks to a Daniel Jokubaitis lay-up.
They extended it through a Darragh O’Hanlon lay-up and a Roso free throw, to lead 49-45, but a dunk by Zecevic stemmed the tide. The sides exchanged points with John Dowling’s side maintaining their four-point advantage by the end of the third, 58-54.
Devin Gilmore showed excellent defence at the basket throughout, one block two minutes into the final quarter saw him land on top of Zecevic, with both players gingerly coming back to their feet their teammate Alex Dolenko went down the other end to level matters at 60-60.
Mark Reynolds’ three in the third minute of the fourth quarter made it 63-60 to DBS Éanna and he followed it with a two-point jump shot to open up a five point gap.
A monster three by Fergal O’Sullivan fired up the Garvey’s Tralee Warriors support, but in a frantic quarter Dolenko stole the ball off Aaron Calixte and raced away for a dunk to re-establish a four-point lead for DBS Éanna, 67-63, midway through the quarter.
Two more O’Sullivan three-pointers helped Garvey’s Tralee Warriors to within one and with 1’54 left on the clock they hit the lead, 71-70, thanks to a Kieran Donaghy lay-up.
With the shotclock running out Calixte found Roso beautifully inside, who made it 73-70 with 80 seconds left. Garvey’s Tralee Warriors added points from the free-throw line to close it out 79-70.
John Dowling, Garvey’s Tralee Warriors head coach, praised the impact of his captain O’Sullivan afterwards.
"It's hard to catch your breath in the middle of all that," he said.
"Éanna and ourselves have had many a battle over the years, and it was just an unbelievable game of basketball. It's some advertisement for the game and where it is at the moment."
