Rebel Wheelers showed why they're the best IWA basketball team ever
Rebel Wheelers ace Conor Coughlan was the star turn with 21 points in Tallaght. Picture: INPHO/Nick Elliott
If you can tell anything about how good a team is by watching them in the warm-ups, then I was very worried for the Rebel Wheelers after seeing the physical size and ability of their opponents South East Swifts in this IWA National Cup final on Friday night at the National Basketball Arena.
I don’t ever remember having this type of worry or concern ahead of the six previous final wins for the Cork side, but there was something dangerous-looking and very threatening about Swifts.
They were a very good side with some excellent players in Joe Hargow, Tadgh Buckley and Jack Mangan.
They beat the Wheelers in a league game earlier in the season by five points and were well capable of doing the same again in this final and preventing the seven-in-a-row. They looked ready to end this incredible winning streak of the Rebel Wheelers.
Seven in a row was never in doubt in their minds and it finished 62-47 in the Cork's side favour.
Conor Coughlan, the top scorer with 21 and the man that took the game away from the Swifts, was incredible. The game’s MVP.
Adam Drummond ended with 10 points but made a lot of great plays and passes. He had his own Neptune U20 team as his personal fan club at the game and he didn’t let them down.
Dylan McCarthy, the work-horse of the team, ended up with 14 points, but it was his performance on both ends of the floor that saw him excel.
With these guys on form, there was no need for any worry.
The stats show that. Seven National Cup titles in row is history-making.
Derek Hegarty, Dylan McCarthy, Conor Coughlan, Jack Quinn and Alan Dineen, who have all played and starred for this team in the six previous victories, now have seven winners’ medals.
For the record, they beat Ballybrack Bulls in 2019, Killester in 2020, 2021 was lost due to Covid, Killester again in 2022 and in 2023 they beat Limerick Celtics and South East Swifts in 2024 and last year they beat Ballybrack Bulls to achieve the six in a row.
At the end of a very nervous opening quarter, Wheelers led 10-9, but both sides missed several easy shots and layups they would normally score.
It was a very physical opening 10 minutes with several of the Wheelers players, especially Adam Drummond, with six points, unhappy with the treatment he was taking and the lack of calls from the officials.
Surprisingly, Drummond only played for the final three minutes in the second quarter with Conor Coughlan and Dylan McCarthy leading the way for the Wheelers.
At the half, it was 28-21 with Dylan McCarthy the star for the defending champions with six points, but his overall performance, his rebounding and defending was superb.
Drummond had eight with Coughlan on seven.
Drummond again started on the bench for the third quarter, but Dylan McCarthy continued to dominate on both sides of the floor and Wheelers led 34-25 with six to play in the third.
Conor Coughlan (23) also had a hot hand in the early stages with three beautiful bank shots off the glass, and a layup to lead all scorers and push the lead out to 12, 42-30 with four to play.
Both sides upped the tempo in the closing minutes with scores coming thick and fast. Coughlan ended his impressive quarter with 17 points as the Wheelers led 48-38 at the end of the third quarter.
Wheelers controlled the fourth quarter, playing very impressive basketball and with just five to play, they led 56-40. Wheelers continued to dominate and run the ball in the final five minutes while being able to empty their bench and give the newer squad members minutes in a National Cup final.
Despite the brave attempt of the Swifts to slow them down, they could not and in the end, they knew they were beaten by the best team in the country and there was no shame in that.
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