Neptune struggle at home against Limerick Celtics and start the SuperLeague season with two losses
Neptune's Nil Sabata scores past St Vincent's Dorian Lagoeyte last season. Picture: David Keane.
Limerick Celtics recovered in the final quarter to see off a late Energywise Ireland Neptune rally and secure their first win in the Domino’s Men’s Super League at the Neptune stadium on Saturday.
Not the greatest game for the purist as the home side only really put eight minutes of solid basketball together over four quarters that eventually came back to haunt them.
The Shannonsiders were quick off the mark with Finn Hughes only taking 12 seconds to drain the opening basket that was quickly matched by a Sam Smith floater.
Sean McCarthy, in his first season back with Neptune following his college stint in the States, showed a nice touch with a deft drive to the hoop and was their top scorer by the end.
The home side were intent on taking the ball to the hoop and Celtics were struggling to contain them, but it was the easy tips that Neptune missed in the opening five minutes will have worried coach Adam Drummond.
There is little doubt Celtics coach Tony Hehir also had problems and his time out with four minutes remaining in the quarter saw him read the riot act to his team.
On the restart a three-pointer from Sebastian Cole steadied the ship and when Callum keys followed up with a similar shot the teams were tied at 19 points each. Neptune went into meltdown in the closing minute and Keys nailed a buzzer-beater three-pointer that gave them a 24-22 lead entering the second quarter.
Hard to figure how Neptune didn’t figure out a way to stop Keys as he produced his fourth shot outside the arc on the restart as a time-out was called in the opening minute to stop the rot.
Trailing by eight points just two minutes into the quarter, Neptune needed some ideas to stop the Celtics' scoring avalanche and, in fairness, they showed a bit more bottle as they had a nine-point run that saw them lead by the minimum midway through the quarter.
In truth, both teams were out of control at times with driving to the hoop their only method of actually registering baskets.
The game remained scrappy up to the final minute and when Sebastian Cole drained a shot with 21 seconds remaining to the interval Celtics led 41-38 with Neptune calling a time-out.
Neptune lost possession and then gave away a foul and a technical that ensured the visitors went in at the break commanding a 44-38 interval lead. Early baskets from Ruari Cronin (3) and Pete Turay put immediate pressure on Neptune though a brace of Sam Smith baskets relieved the pressure.
Roy Downey showed his experience with a dagger outside the arc in the 23rd minute that helped reduce the deficit to three points. Both teams resorted to some careless basketball in this period and with two minutes remaining the home side trailed by 11.
The rally continued for the home side and inspired by Sean McCarthy and American Sam Smith they reduced the deficit to three points in the final minute.
Celtics, having led by 15 points, were now on the ropes, but Cole saved them at the death with a three-pointer that restored a six-point lead entering the final quarter.
The home fans were thrilled as Eoin Nelson and McCarthy continued to take the game to the Limerick side with the sides level at 72 points each with 5.44 remaining. Cronin then came up with a stunning three-pointer for the visitors on the restart, but the teams were still level with three minutes remaining.
When the big baskets were needed Celtics found a way to win as Neptune went down tamely after a disappointing home display of sloppy basketball.
S McCarthy 29, S Smith 23, K Taylor 14.
C Keys 26, S Cole 20, R Cronin 15, T Turay 15.
J Hodge, S McCarthy, E Lenihan, J Scannell, R Downey, A Heaphy, N Sabata, K Taylor, S Smith, N Power, E Nelson, P Osagie.
S Cole, M Frawley, P Turay, F Hughes, R Cronin, C Keyes, C Gleeson, P Kearney, T Morton, M Barry, H Gocek.
A Wickham (Dublin), L Aherne (Limerick), P J Coughlan (Cork).
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