Star can go all the way in bid for cupjoy: Davis
JUBILANT Mike Davis last night declared that he is determined to drive Belfast Star to National Cup glory on the back of their rip-roaring 91-78 quarter-final victory over Killorglin at De La Salle College.
Star made it through to their first Cup semi-final in 20 years after a true grit performance spliced with moments of brilliance in a game that enthralled from the first buzzer to the last before a raucous crowd.
Captain Conor Johnston was simply magnificent as he epitomised the high energy and cool head demonstrated by so many in Star, including coach Adrian Fulton who gave a masterclass in utilising his bench as the Belfast men ran their classy opponents into the ground.
It was American Davis who was the X-factor in this victory, producing three-pointers, slashing lay-ups and ball handling skills that had the Star fans drooling in admiration.
The contribution of Davis was crystallised late in the second quarter when he hit the rim after a sublime move inside but cheetah-like pounced on the rebound and spun around to hit a three-pointer from the sideline while also drawing the foul. As the Star fans finally settled down their euphoria, Davis duly slotted home the free throw.
Star will now travel to Cork next month for a semi-final clash with Dubliners UCD Marian and Davis has no doubt they have the ability to go all the way.
“We can beat any team in the league. I know Star have never won the Cup and I want to be the one who helps them do it this year,” said Davis, who top scored on 27.
“We play a very high tempo game and if we are close with any team down the stretch then we know we are going to be hard to beat. I’m happy with my own performance but most importantly we got the win. It was a tough game but I never thought it was going to slip away.”
As for that stunning four-point play, Davis quipped: “I enjoyed that one!”
Leading 41-40 at the break, Star were in need of inspiration to grab the game by the throat. A little jaded in the first half, 16-year-old CJ Fulton exploded into life with two three-pointers on the back of a three from Spaniard Sergio Vidal.
Leading by 10 heading into the final quarter, Star were pegged back to a 74-71 lead by a buoyant Killorglin, driven by the impressive Daniel Jokubaitis but then captain Johnston dropped a lovely lay-up before Vidal and Davis knocked in three-pointers to essentially seal victory.
Coach Fulton said: “That layup from Conor was the basket of the match — it was crucial, it just gave us that lift when it would have been easy to get a little edgy. To make the semis is great for the club — the lads really dug in.”
Meanwhile, the Belfast Hall of Fame Classic tournament at the SSE Arena finished off a great week of basketball with the University at Buffalo winning the Goliath group after an 85-81 victory over the previously unbeaten University of San Francisco on Saturday.
The Bulls took their record to seven straight wins, the first time they have enjoyed such a feat since the 1930-31 season.