Good buzz around Cork basketball again with Neptune drawing huge crowds

THERE was a natural relief in the Energywise Ireland Neptune camp following their 96-87 win over great rivals UCC Demons at the Neptune stadium on Saturday.

For coach Colin O’Reilly it was clear to see after a game of high stakes he was naturally relieved.

O’Reilly said: “I don’t think it was a typical derby game as both teams looked really nervous in the first half as there was uncharacteristic errors from both sides.

“Demons were missing lay ups and we were turning the ball over and these are things that both teams don’t normally do, and I think it was the pressure of the cup more than a derby game that played its part in this.” 

Coach O’Reilly believes his team got it right when the game hung in the balance.

O’Reilly added: “We made some crucial plays when we needed them and in the end, we got the run that eventually saw off Demons.” 

The performance of MVP Nil Sabata who finished with a game-high 37 points came in for special mention from his coach.

“I wasn’t surprised as he’s a very consistent player but looking at his game Nil is not always going to be our top scorer or defender every week, but he always brings something to the table that helps us big time.

“I think Nil and Jordan Blount are the best inside combination in the league but to be honest I don’t think we are playing to our potential at the perimeter yet but we are getting there and thankfully the pressure is off us regarding derby games for a few months.” 

Many of the basketball purists felt it was an error-ridden game that will frustrate Demons coach Danny O’Mahony.

One of the bright lights for Demons was the performances of the Hannigan twins James and Scott, who played superbly, with the former checking in with 24 points. At one stage they both lifted Demons back into contention and had Neptune guard Roy Downey totally frustrated.

FRUSTRATED

On the negative side the Demons faithful will be miffed how their professional duo of Jeremiah Moore and Kingsley Nwagboso failed to show up in their biggest game of the season.

In the case of Moore, he looks a talented player but a little soft for this league and his 14 points tally was disappointing. Bolton-born Kingsley Nwagboso had a nightmare and for a 6' 10" post player who could only chip in with a paltry five points it is not good enough by a long shot.

Coach O’Mahony may also rue playing too much zone defence as Neptune killed them coming down the stretch with unchallenged outside shooting.

Not the end of the season for Demons as they got a huge lift over the weekend when it was announced that Mangan Group of New York are sponsoring them over three seasons. The Group Managing Director is Mallow-born Bryan Mangan, who attended the game, and will no doubt be a help to Demons next season when it comes to recruiting professionals.

There was also bad news for the holders of the Paudie O’Connor National Cup The Address UCC Glanmire when they were knocked out by Trinity Meteors.

It was clear to see many of the key Glanmire players underachieved on the day but to be fair Trinity played some impressive basketball coming down the stretch.

For coach Mark Scannell it was a disappointing result after guiding his team to the Grand Slam last season.

Scannell said: “It was one of those days when nothing dropped for us and in the end, we were punished by a very good side.”