Seventh heaven for Rebel Wheelers basketballers in National Cup final
Rebel Wheelers celebrate with the cup in Tallaght on Friday night. Picture: INPHO/Nick Elliott
History for the Rebel Wheelers in the final of the IWA National Cup as they completed their seventh success in a row with a thrilling win over South East Swifts at the National Basketball Arena.
Plenty of heroes for the winners but Conor Coughlan displayed his unimaginable skills and deservedly finished with MVP with a 21-point tally. Although Coughlan was the stand-out performer, the Wheelers had solid contributions from the entire squad who helped make this evening one to remember.
In a rip-roaring start, the powerful Dylan McCarthy opened up with a neat basket that was immediately responded with a Patrick O’Neill floater.
It was evident the Kilkenny side were up for battle as they looked physically stronger but Jack Quinn produced a super basket to ensure the Leesiders commanded a two-point lead midway through the quarter. This was a game of high standard and Adam Drummond had to show all his class to give his team a 10-7 lead in the eighth minute, as both sides were leaving everything on court.
Coughlan wasn’t having a good shooting period initially, but both sides were missing easy tips before a late Joseph Hargow for the Swifts reduced the deficit to the minimum 10-9 entering the second quarter.
On the restart, Mangan took advanatage of a poor turnover, with an unchallenged lay-up. Coughlan produced a move of sheer magic that yielded a stunning basket and bonus and a four-point lead in the 14th minute.
The Cork side rested Adam Drummond for the start of this period but for the first in since they made the breakthrough at this level, they knew they were in a serious battle. Drummond and captain Jack Quinn returned to the action with three minutes remaining, but Swifts immediately responded with a basket from Mangan.
Drummond did nail consecutive baskets to give his side a three-point lead entering the final minute and Derek Hegarty, in his first game of the season, came off the bench to nail a crucial basket. In the closing possession, a Quinn steal saw Dylan McCarthy finish in style as the Wheelers went in at the break with a seven-point, 28-21, after struggling for long periods.
McCarthy began the second half with a basket that brought his total nine points and was the go-to player at the post in the Wheelers squad. On each occasion, the Kilkenny side threatened a revival Coughlan seemed to find his range but a Hargow three-pointer reduced the deficit to five.
Coughlan was simply on fire and in the space of two minutes, he drained three baskets, 42-30 by the 26th minute.
Consecutive baskets from Conor Buckley and Mangan reduced the deficit to eight points and it was game-on again. Yet a Hegarty basket was crucial for the Wheelers as they took a 10-point cushion, 48-38, into the fourth.
Darragh O’Regan gave the Wheelers the perfect start with a baseline banked shot as the Cork side were intent on closing out the game. Coming down the stretch, backed by their loyal fans, the Wheelers produced magical basketball as they were crowned champions in style.
Seventh Heaven for the Rebel Wheelers!
C Coughlan 21, D McCarthy 14, A Drummond 10.
T Buckley 12, J Hargow 11, J Mangan 12.
J Quinn, P Ryan, O O’Connor, A Hennebry, K O’Callaghan, C Simpson, R Motherway, D O’Regan, C Lynch, C Coughlan, D McCarthy, A Drummond, T J Lotty, D Hegarty, W O’ Connor.
S Wall, C Byrne, L Blake, D Byrne, R Roche, J Hargow, A Homan, J Strappe, J Mangan, A Homan, P O’Neill, M Murphy, S Denieffe, J Hennessy, T Buckley, P O'Neill, D Byrne.
Canice Kelly (Kilkenny), John O’Connor (Portarlington), Nico Kvula (Westmeath).
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