Brave Limerick Celtics suffer agonising defeat in U20 Men's National Cup final

DEFENDING champions Limerick Celtics lost out to first-time winners Dundalk Ravens 71-63 after overtime in their U20 Men’s National Cup at the National Basketball Arena on Sunday.

There was nothing between the sides in the early stages of this final, Limerick Celtics edged the first quarter 21-19. Dundalk Ravers were 30-25 in front at the midpoint of the second quarter, following free throws by Colm Hackett.

But Philip Kearney, who won the Men’s Presidents’ Cup final on Saturday with Limerick Celtics, was having a strong opening half.

He first picked out Martin Frawley for his basket, before levelling matters himself from the three point line to make it 30-30. Limerick Celtics would hold a slender 35-34 lead by half-time.

 It was level gain at 43-43 with a little over four minutes to go in the third, before a corner three by Kearney nudged Limerick Celtics 46-43 ahead. Dundalk Ravens finished the quarter strongly thanks to baskets from Gustas Pocevicius and Mascuud Haji to trail 49-48.

A corner three from Pocevicius put Dundalk Ravens 51-49 up in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter. That lead for the County Louth club was 55-49 three minutes in, following Pocevicius’ layup, he’d picked up 19 points by then and would end with 25 points, 11 rebounds, eight steals and five assists, as he claimed the MVP.

Limerick Celtics went on a seven point run, layups from Martin Frawley and Cian Gleeson, followed by a corner three by Sean Ryan, put Tony Hehir’s side 57-55 ahead just after the quarter midpoint. A floater from Pocevicius brought this game level once more, at 60-60, with ninety seconds to go. Both sides had chances to win it in regulation, but overtime was required.

Dundalk Ravens got off to the perfect start with a corner three from Conor Mac Criosta and a Franciszek Chmielecki basket in the opening minute, to put them 65-60 up. Two Pocevicius free throws followed, only for that run to finally be snapped by Matthew Barry’s three, to see the score at 67-63 with 2’42” to go.

Limerick Celtics needed points down the stretch, but there hopes were extinguished in the last 30 seconds, following a brilliant steal by Mac Criosta, which prompted a layup for Chmielecki. Mac Criosta helped himself to a pair of free throws at the finish, to wrap up a 71-63 win.

Head coach Faapito revealed what he said to his players as they went into overtime - “We were down by 25 in the semi-final and the same thing I said at half-time I said it in overtime – I said relax, take your time, trust the process, trust our scouting report, what we worked on and it’s going to come to fruition and it did.”

Quarter Scores:

Q1: 21-19, Q2: 14-15 Q3: 14-14, Q4: 11-12, OT: 3-11

Game Scores:

Q1: 21-19, Q2: 35-34, Q3: 49-48, Q4: 60-60, OT: 63-71

Limerick Celtics: Sean Ryan (7), Max Turski (DNP), Michael Cleary (DNP), Cian Gleeson (17), Ohri Imbush Artola (DNP), Matthew Barry (10), Bryan Morrison (DNP), Philip Kearney (14), Jose Azzopardi (DNP), Dennis Matthews (5), Patryk Rejkowicz (0), Martin Frawley (10)

Dundalk Ravens: Denis Daly (0), Franciszek Chmielecki (11), Mascuud Haji (20), Hugo Winston (0), Conor Mac Criosta (5), Gustas Pocevicius (25), Colm Hackett (10).