Bernsen buoyant after win on big night for bastketball in Tralee

LAST Sunday in the complex was certainly an occasion which confirmed the support which Basketball enjoys in Kerry with the winning Tigers team of 21 years ago being honoured at half-time with presentations being made by the President of the IBA Bernard O’Byrne.

The celebration was crowned with another win by the current crop of standard bearers from the Kingdom.

Another step along the way in what has been a season to savour for the Tralee combination and coach Mark Bernsen’s reaction was one of satisfaction and maybe relief at the end of what was every inch a titanic struggle.

“It was just two good teams fighting every possession, there was nothing given, I mean every possession was a war. Defensively both teams played about as hard as they could. Both teams I thought offensively were a bit poor, there was very little efficiency, every shot was challenged, every dribble, there was people laying on people, it was just a hard fought game.

“We had it last week and we will have it next week. A game like that will wear you down, and, make you’re tired, it’s just physical. We made some baskets late to pull it out, but at one point it could have gone either way. Kieran [Donaghy] got into a bit of foul trouble, we played our big lads, it was our plan to play the big lads, and I thought they did a nice job.

“We got tired, some of our ball handlers got a little bit careless, and you can’t get careless, and you can’t get lazy around good defenders, and we did a couple of times, and they punished us.

“We found a way to right the ship and get back, make a free throw here, and a jump shot there, and, we had some big stops defensively down the stretch when they were making their run back in. This last month is March madness for us, so you learn a lot about yourself, playing these type of games.

“The league leaders right now are Templeogue and that’s who we are going to play on their home floor, and the challenge is from Marian to Swords to Templeogue, it just gets bigger and bigger, and that challenge is in front of us so we will figure some things out.”