The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Warriors silence Thunder to set up showdown with Templeogue
MEN’S SUPERLEAGUE Garveys Tralee Warriors Swords Thunder
GARVEY’S Tralee Warriors kept their hopes of Superleague glory alive on Saturday in the most dramatic fashion with a stunning one-point win over Griffith College Swords Thunder in front of an ecstatic home crowd. In a thrilling finale the Warriors managed to conjure up the winning basket with their last play of the game.
Trailing the visitors by one, Trae Pemberton’s drive to the basket saw Swords deflect the ball out of play and from the resulting restart with 10.9 seconds on the clock the Warriors point guard found Goran Pantovic who hooked the ball over Conroy Baltimore to land the decisive score. The win leaves the Warriors in second place on the table, level of points with leaders UCD Marian, and among a group of five teams that still have a chance of winning the League.
In front of a packed Tralee Complex, Pantovic provided the Warriors opening score but Baltimore and Travis Black responded for Swords and when Isaac Westbrooks struck twice for the visitors they led by five.
A number of Warriors drives by Eoin Quigley and Kieran Donaghy were halted by Swords defensive fouls and the resulting free throws were all dispatched to see the Warriors lead 17-13 at quarter time.
Fergal O’Sullivan and Kevin Lacey swapped scores early in the second before Pantovic was again on the mark. What followed was a stunning display of three-point shooting from both sides. Alex Dolenko fired in back-to-back threes before Fergal O’Sullivan sent in a towering effort from outside. Dolenko did it again to reply in kind before Charlie Coombes landed one of his own.
O’Sullivan stepped in to fire another before Pemberton effortlessly swooshed from distance with a trademark three. Oisin Kerlin got his first score before Dolenko made it four threes in as many minutes. Westbrooks and O’Sullivan exchanged baskets before Guevara de la Torres hit a three on the buzzer to see Swords lead by three 40-37 at the long break.
Swords took the momentum of the first half to hit 14 points without reply and give them a game winning position of a 15-point lead. Three scores from Baltimore and one each from Lacey, Dolenko and Westbrooks with two free throws from Travis Black had Thunder lead by 54-39.
The Warriors looked to be in some disarray before Donaghy hauled his side back into contention with a three followed by a typical driving score and added the extra to cut the deficit to 10. Donaghy powered through the Swords rearguard to land another before Pemberton’s second three left eight between the sides as they straightened up for home.
Donaghy and Pantovic hit two early scores in the final quarter to leave a more manageable four between the team. Baltimore gave Swords a little more breathing space with success from the line and another score under the board before Pemberton brought Warriors back with four sublime threes in a row punctuated only by a three from Dolenko, a score from Westbrooks and two from the line from Lacey.
It was now a one-point game with both sides giving absolutely everything. Baltimore looked like he had stolen a march on the Warriors with a score from inside but Quigley responded in kind from right under the board to leave one between the sides again.
And then those beautifully uncertain final seconds when the Warriors needed their last play to be executed perfectly. Pemberton passed to Pantovic who found the space and composure to hook the ball in to sent the crowd into a total frenzy. Swords still had six seconds to summon up an equally dramatic response but when Westbrooks attempted to find the basket Pantovic got a big hand on the ball to reject Thunder’s final effort.
Cue absolute bedlam at the Complex as the Warriors faithful celebrated the crucial win over their League title rivals to keep their hopes of League glory very much alive with just two games remaining.
TOP SCORERS
WARRIORS: Trae Pemberton 22, Goran Pantovic 18, Kieran Donaghy 15
SWORDS THUNDER: Conroy Baltimore 17, Alex Dolenko 15, Isaac Westbrooks 13