BASKETBALL/Superleague Cup, Semi-finals:Defending Superleague Cup champions, the Tralee Tigers, looked spent. Their prized, home-grown assets Kieran Donaghy and Michael Quirke only returned last week from a trip to Hawaii and California with the Kerry footballers and despite Quirke's natural rebounding ability, the duo's impact was minimum as UCD Marian raced into a 40-32 interval lead.
In the opening half Donaghy laboured around the court, while Quirke was largely anonymous. To make matters worse both men and American Chris Jordan flirted with foul trouble as officials Tom Quinn and Pascal Roche continually blew them up. Pens were being sharpened for the Tigers basketball obituary.
Then, in the third quarter, everything clicked dramatically into gear. It started with the day's first slam dunk, compliments of Jordan - what a burden the Texan's surname must be throughout his career - before Quirke brought matters back to three points.
The other American, CJ Hadley, (clearly another admirer of basketball's greatest ever player as he wears MJ's famed number 23) then grabbed the contest by the scruff of the neck with four successive baskets. UCD rallied but Hadley was in the groove; shooting two more three pointers to make it 54-47 and put Tralee's season back on course.
UCD came again, levelling matters at 54-all, but the Tigers' core of match winners had one more contributor. A Donaghy three-pointer sprang the towering full forward into life. Hadley added another soon after to shatter the opposition's spirit and start a relentless march to a personal tally of 30 points.
The Tigers' Greek point guard, Paris Katsimpas, had also found his rhythm so despite the constant promptings of Irish-American David Ryan, an inevitability descended upon the National Basketball Arena as the Tigers ran out 83-71 victors.
The quietening of UCD Marian's standout Irish player Kevin Foley, 10 points in the first-half but just three in the second, also proved crucial.
"When we went in at half-time there were a few words said but we raised it up after that and came out the other end of the fourth quarter," said a visibly drained Donaghy.
"That's what this club has been about for the last six years. We'll go back for two weeks' training and try and improve for the final."
Donaghy has been plugging away with his first love throughout these Gaelic football off-peak months, even playing hurt due to a recurring left shoulder injury.
Official Kerry training restarts tomorrow night so a hectic few weeks are on the horizon.
"Ah, it'll be alright. I'll get back jogging and running with Kerry. Do the physical stuff and get the body right. I'll be ready for the final," said Donaghy.
Nobody doubts him anymore.
The final will be against leading Dublin club Killester on January 27th, back in the Tallaght arena, after they obliterated Shamrock Rovers Hoops 99-75 in yesterday's second semi-final.
Coach Mark Keenan was able to run his full bench for the last quarter after racing into a 78-54 lead with young prospect John Lambert and veteran Jerome Westbrooks both seeing plenty of court time.
The real difference though was Michael Bonaparte from Grenada and Arnaud Dahi of the Ivory Coast as they combined for 51 points. Junior Irish international Paddy Kelly also showed well with 13 points.
Physically, Killester look well primed for the challenge of the Tigers and Keenan feels his squad possess a superior strength in depth.
"When you look at Quirke and Donaghy they probably have two of the top five players in the country. They always get good import players, there are three decent foreigners there, but they don't really go that deep on the bench," said Keenan.
"Maybe seven or eight players so I'll be cluing in on that to try and keep the pressure on them and wear them down," he added.
SUPERLEAGUE CUP
Semi-finals
Tralee Tigers 83 (CJ Hadley 30, C Jordan 18, K Donaghy 11); UCD Marian 71 (D Ryan 25, H Sitton 14, K Foley 13).
Killester 99 (A Dahi 27, M Bonaparte 24, P Kelly 13, M Goj 13); Shamrock Rovers Hoops 75 (J Reed 27, T Lay 18, I O'Boyle 14).
