Ballincollig saw off Killester 79-71 to lift the Domino's Men’s Super League and complete the double in the process, having won the Domino’s MSL National Cup in January.
It is the Cork club's second Super League title in four years, while for Killester it is final heartache for the third year in a row.
As the teams sized each other up in the opening quarter, a dunk from Robert Braswell IV made it 13-8 to Killester midway through. Latrell Jossell, who was MVP in the MSL National Cup final, landed a three to put Ballincollig in front, 16-13, with three minutes to go in the first quarter, but it would be level pegging at 17-17 at the end of it.
Another Jossell three had it level at 20 apiece with two minutes gone in the second quarter. Three minutes later an Adrian O’Sullivan layup had Ballincollig ahead by five points, 29-24. A big dunk from Latavious Mitchell with two minutes to go made it an eight-point game, 36-28. Josh Steel pushed it to a nine-point lead with his basket, Ballincollig were 39-30 ahead at half-time.
Adrian O’Sullivan took a bang to the face in the closing stages of the second quarter, but didn’t show any ill effects when downing a layup for the first score of the third quarter. The Ireland international was dictating the tempo and would finish with 17 points and seven rebounds on his way to earning the MVP.
Paul Dick landed a deep three in the fourth minute of the third quarter to trail 46-40, only for Keelan Cairns to unload with a corner three straight after. Ballincollig stretched their advantage to 15 after a Jossell layup and a Steel three, to lead 62-47 with a little over a minute to go. Down the stretch Adrian O’Sullivan landed a long three with 16 seconds remaining, however Josh Wilson converted two late free throws to leave it at 65-53.
A corner three from Andy McGeever gave Killester the start they needed in the fourth quarter, but it was cancelled out by Dylan Corkery’s effort. Killester kept plugging away, a big block by Baptiste Chazelas on Jossell and swift counter ended with a Dick layup and Jonathan Grennell’s side had cut the deficit to six, 68-62. A Dick free throw followed shortly after, but Ballincollig didn’t panic, with layups from Jossell and Corkery to make it 72-63 with six minutes to go.
Momentum was with Ciaran O’Sullivan’s side and when Jossell landed his third three of the contest with 2’23" to go it was 79-69 and they safely negotiated the final stages to seal the title.
Earlier, Trinity Meteors won their first Domino's Women’s Super League since 1992-93, defeating UCC Glanmire 87-81 in a thrilling playoff final.
Ava Learn was the star of the show, taking MVP honours with 23 points and 12 rebounds for the victors.
Trinity Meteors opened up an early seven-point lead at 12-5, following a Kylie Horstmeyer lay-up with 5:26 to go in the first.
Two minutes later Glanmire levelled matters after two lay-ups from Viane Cumber, a jump shot from Jewel Watkins and an Emer Dunne free throw. Trinity Meteors would lead 17-15 by the end of the first quarter.
A Watkins three brought parity at 22-22 apiece with a little over three minutes gone in the second quarter. Two lay-ups for Aisling Moran either side of Hazel Finn’s put Meteors 28-22 at the mid-point of the quarter.
Aine McKenna’s three was the only respite for UCC Glanmire, Horstmeyer’s jumpshot had Meteors up 33-25 with three minutes to go. Up stepped Watkins and Cumber, who had them back level once more, at 35-35, with a minute to go, Cumber with two threes. Meteors would lead by four at half-time, Ciara Mulligan's jump shot making it 39-35.
Meteors opened up an eight-point lead in the third quarter at 50-42, following Ava Learn’s three. Again UCC Glanmire closed the gap, Cumber’s third three of the contest left it at 50-48 midway through the quarter.
A Watkins jump shot nudged Glanmire 53-52 up with a minute to go. Again Meteors pulled away, a fastbreak and lay-up from Finn, who converted the 'and one’ after being fouled on the way to the basket, saw the Dublin club finish the quarter 59-54 ahead.
Trinity Meteors made it a 10-point game after two and a half minutes of the fourth quarter, Finn and Helena Keane linked up to make it 69-59.
Two Claire O’Sullivan baskets and a McKenna three and free throw and it was a four-point game once more, 71-67, after four minutes. An O’Sullivan three off the glass midway through the quarter and the deficit was just two, UCC Glanmire trailing 73-71.
An Ava Learn three from the top of the arc restored a five-point lead for Meteors at 78-73, with three and a half minutes to go. Learn downed two free throws with 39.9 seconds to go to make it 83-78, but Cumber came back with a big three. Meteors held their nerve, a Horstmeyer basket and two Finn free throws following to secure the victory.
