Costly errors leave UCC Demons' play-off hopes in tatters after strong finish from Limerick Celtics
UCC Demons coach Danny O'Mahony in the closing moments of the game on Sunday. Picture: Noel
A superb fourth quarter from Limerick Celtics has all but ended the champions UCC Demons' hopes of competing in the play-offs after a tense battle in the Domino’s Men’s Super League at the GCU Arena on Sunday.
In a repeat of many games this season Demons folded coming down the stretch.
Tala Fam opened the scoring for Demons following a superb Tamyrik Fields assist that was cancelled out by Abdul Wurie. Demons' defence looked suspect in the opening exchanges as the Shanonsiders raced into a four-point lead.
The opening seven minutes were played at a ferocious pace but some of the shooting and passing options were questionable from the home side. The problem Demons were encountering was getting the right assists to Washington and Fields although they had a four-point lead entering the final minute.
Right on the buzzer Ruairí Cronin was fouled but the Celtics player only made of the resultant free throws with Demons taking a 25-22 lead into the second quarter.
Dave Lehane popped up for a mid-range jumper on the restart with the pace of the game increasing as Celtics nailed three unanswered baskets to edge into a two-point lead.
Credit to Demons, they didn’t panic with Washington pulling the strings in the offence court but once again, indiscipline came back to haunt them with unsportsmanlike and technical fouls.
All season Demons have suffered in that department and there can be no excuses as referees don’t usually changed their minds when making decisions. To be fair when Demons concentrated on playing basketball in the closing minutes they managed to extend their lead to 12 points entering the final minute.
Fields then got a chance to extend it to 14 but instead of taking the easy lay-up he decided to go for a slammer that rimmed out. Still, Demons looked the happier of the two teams going in at the break when they commanded an 11-point lead, 53-42.
Looking at the half-time stats Demons were 14/21 (67%) inside the paint but their shooting outside the arc showed 5/17, a 29% average.
On the restart Celtics opened with consecutive baskets but Demons responded again to go 10 up before another calamity of errors for Demons. It started with an unsportsmanlike foul against Fields and two poor turnovers as Celtics reduced the deficit to four points by the 24th minute.
Once again Demons responded and with Washington and the Hannigan twins, James and Scott, excelling, they restored an 11-point lead with four minutes remaining in the quarter. Turnovers once again came back to haunt Demons, a trademark of their season.
Right on the buzzer, Fam was fouled and he duly made the resultant free throws that gave Demons a five-point lead, 74-69, entering the final quarter.
On the resumption, the opening two minutes were tense with Demons struggling to score and with Fields picking up an injury in the 32nd minute, they were now under serious pressure.
Demons were still very much in the game until the final two minutes when Celtics nailed unchallenged three-pointers that finally put this game to bed, much to the dismay of their loyal fans who have suffered a very frustrating season.
J Washington 28, T Fam 19, J Hannigan 12, S Hannigan 11.
A J Williams 35, R Cronin 16, F Hughes 14, P Kearney 12.
B Murphy, S Hannigan, J Washington, L Sutton, K Hosford, J Hannagan, D Lehane, T Fam, C Looney, L Livuvu, D Cuff, B Horgan.
E Donaghy, A J Williams, M Frawley, M Cleary, F Hughes, R Cronin, A Wurie, P Kearney, C Gleeson, S A Hauser, M Barry, J Hehir, N Ikvovic.
Linda Cassidy (Dublin), Marios Landos (Dublin), Paula Gisbert (Dublin).
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