Basketball: The Tralee Tigers held their nerve to become the men's Superleague champions for 2004 after coming through the play-offs at Cork's Mardyke Arena by beating first Star of the Sea and then Killester in yesterday's final.It's a remarkable achievement by coach Rus Bradburd, especially considering the Tigers were bottom of the pile last season.
They beat Star of the Sea by 19 points (96-77) on Saturday, before blowing away Northern champions Killester 69-54 to confirm the dominance of the Southern Conference.
But Killester did ruin the dream all-Kerry final on Saturday when they beat the Killarney Lakers 65-58. Clyde Ellis, Keith Friel and Dejan Smith led the way, as usual.
But they simply were not able to compete with the gritty defending of Tralee in the decider.
Chris Bracey hit 20 points, but it was the influence of Kieran Donaghy, John Teehan and Michael Quirke that kept Friel down to a measly 13 points. The American also had to sit out some of the second half after picking up four fouls. Though he was less active in the final, Brandon Mason's 25 points against Star were crucial.
Trailing 58-43, Killester scored the first five points of the last quarter, but a three-pointer from Teehan effectively ended the contest, leaving the Cork crowds with an anti-climactic finish.
The woman's final so nearly produced the biggest upset in years as UL/Aughinish just beat the Waterford Wildcats 73-71. Inspired by American Nicole Conway, Gráinne Dwyer and Jenny Coady, the Wildcats came so close to denying the Limerick club the double-double.
Coady's free throw pulled it back to just two points, and with six seconds left on the clock the underdogs looked set to bring the match to overtime. But Dwyer's last-gasp shot missed the target as the buzzer sounded. At least Waterford's performance shows that UL's dominance is not as ironclad as previously believed.
Another female from Stateside who dominated the event and the year was UL's Michelle Aspell. Her average contribution of 10 points per quarter made the difference. Bethany Scott also produced a solid performance, but it's Wildcat teenager Dwyer who is shaping into one of Irish basketball's brightest prospects.
Elsewhere, Ballina beat the Blue Demons, on their own court no less, to claim the men's Division One title, while Mercy Coolock picked up the woman's equivalent with a one-point victory over St Mary's.
