Garvey's check out in Super Valu game!
 
Team Garvey's exited this season’s National league following a defeat to Titans in the quarter final on Saturday night.  Overall Garvey's have had a great season, they finished second in their conference, they were unbeaten at home in regular league games and lost only two in total and they were cup finalists but unfortunately it was not their year for picking up silver worn.  Titans have also had a fine season; they finished third in the conference, had only three losses in total and were extremely unlucky not to win their Cup semi-final against Cup winners, Moycullen.  So all in all Saturday's game was always set to be a close one and that it was. Spectators were entertained by what was a thrilling game right up to the final buzzer.
In Saturday's game Garvey's started strong, some great defensive rebounding was achieved by John Galvin who was quick to release but Garvey's had some early turnovers.  Galvin was first to register a score on the night but it did not take Titans long to settle and when they did, they did it with style.  Danny Finn opened with two and Paulius Peldzius added another before Finn netted two consecutive baskets from the perimeter. Garvey's had a spread of scores but trailed by four with two minutes remaining. Titans pushed ahead drawing several fouls and by the end of the first quarter they led 20 points to 13.
 

Player coach Brian Clernon made a big impression in the second quarter as did John Galvin, both worked tirelessly under the boards and made vital scores to keep Garvey's in touch but Titans were in fine shooting form and they converted almost everything that they threw up.  Rinvydas Visockas was spectacular registering 13 points for the quarter and contributing to his sides 45 to 33 lead at the interval.
 
The third quarter was more evenly matched.  Michael Broderick was strong for the home side that totaled 22 for the quarter. Visokas picked up his fourth foul but conitnued to make some great scores for Titans. By the end of the quarter Titans held a 14 point lead but Garvey's were fighting hard and were coming back into the game.

 
Paul Freeman opened the final quarter with a basket and Paulius Peldzius added three at a time when the home side needed desperately to prevent their opponents from scoring.  Titans now held a 19 point lead but Garvey's went on to play some brilliant defense and turn the game around.  Brian Clernon continued to impress by making several steals and drawing fouls from his opponents. John Galvin and Clernon were responsible for the first 10 points of the quarter; Declan Wall added two and a big three from Ruaraí Rahilly at a vital point in the game put the crowds on the edge of their seats as it looked as though the home team might make a comeback.  With just 1.26 remaining only six points separated the sides. Paul Freeman pushed his side to 85 with 41 seconds to go but a three from Tom Fleming kept Garvey's within reach. Paul Freeman got a free run from the inbound and registered a basket. Brian Clernon's accuracy from the free throw line gave Garvey's hope.  John Galvin registered a basket and bonus to see just three points separate the sides with 27 seconds to go, a foul to stop the clock saw Peldzius push Titans ahead by two more but Clernon responded with two for the home side.  Clernon then went to the free throw line, he made the first and the second was rebounded by Galvin, Declan Wall received a pass which allowed him to attempt a vital three which would put the game into overtime but it was not to be.  Derek Mulveen was fouled in yet another attempt to stop the clock and as had been the form of the game for Titans he netted both to see Titans run out winners by five points and secure a place in next weekend’s semi-final when they travel to the North to meet Lisburn 94.
 
Final Score: Team Garvey's 88   Titans 93
 
Team Garvey's: John Galvin 29, Brian Clernon 21, Declan Wall 15, Michael Broderick 10, Tom Fleming 7, Ruaraí Rahilly 6.
Titans: Rinvydas Visokas 22, David O' Keefe 19,Danny Finn 15,  Paulius Peldzius 14, Paul Freeman 13, Conall MacMichael 4, Derek Mulveen 4,
       

Garvey’s secure home Quarter final.

In the last of their southern conference games at the weekend Team Garvey’s came up trumps in what was a nail biting game. Both sides had several misses in the opening few minutes and Team Garvey’s also had a lot of turnovers. Paul Freeman’s opened the scoring, netting the first two baskets of the game but Declan Wall and John Galvin leveled it. Peldzius pushed Titans ahead again with two more baskets for the Galway team before Maurice Casey made two from the free throw line. Dainius Varanaskus received and injury and was forced out of the game.  While Titans maintained their lead scores from Declan Wall and Michael Broderick kept Garvey’s in touch although they trailed by six at the enc of the first quarter.

Titans added nine early points in the second quarter to go 23 to 12 ahead before Declan Wall hit the first three of the game to bring it back to eight points, but Titans responded and went up by 12 points. Player coach Brian Clernon came on for team Garvey’s and immediately made an impact.  Maurice Casey reduced the gap nine with a bucket and free throw.  Some calculated moves between Clernon and John Galvin saw Garvey’s draw fouls from their opponents. Peldzius and Clernon exchanged threes but Garvey’s were still chasing as half time approached. Wall and Clernon hit another three each to see Garvey’s just four points behind at the interval.

Michael Broderick and Paul Freeman exchange baskets at the start of the third. A steal by Brian Clernon set John Galvin up for two and Broderick made another to leave just a point between the sides.  Titans Danny Finn made two from the free throw line but Tom Fleming answered with a three to see the sides level baskets were exchanged for the next few minutes but with less than two minutes remaining Paul Freeman made three baskets to put Titans ahead 55 to 49 going into the final quarter.

John Galvin brought it back to three with a basket and bonus having been fouled by Paul Freeman who picked up his fifth foul at this point and was therefore forced out of the game.

Tom Fleming hit another three to level and through the remainder of the quarter the sides exchanged scores.  Brian Clernon was very strong for Garvey’s and over all they worked well as a team with all members contributing.  Titans led by five points with two and a half on the clock but Galvin, Rahilly and Fleming had brought it back level with 1.35 to go. With 47 seconds remaining Declan Wall made two from the free throw line but Titans Remus Visokas hit a three to go ahead by one. Both John Galvin and Declan Wall came up trumps for Team Garvey’s to see them take the game by three on the buzzer.

This win put Team Garvey’s second in the conference and has secured them home venue for the quarter final which will be held in Castleisland on Saturday next at 8.15pm.

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 81 Titan’s 78

Team Garvey’s: Declan Wall 19, Brian Clernon 18, John Galvin 17, Tom Fleming 10, Ruaraí Rahilly 7, Maurice Casey 5, Michael Broderick 5.

Titans: P. Peldzius 27, P. Freeman 14, J. Considine 12, D. Callanan 8, D. Keefe 7, R. Visokas 5, D. Finn 3, C. McMichael 2.

In Saturday’s clash, Lisburn opened the scoring with a basket from Paul Dick who gave a tremendous performance throughout the game as did Luke Dick. John Galvin responded with a basket which came as a result of an offensive rebound. Paul Dick and Dainius Varanaskus exchanged scores and a Garvey’s turnover which in an Alan Ferris score for Lisburn. Team Garvey’s Michael Broderick and Galvin both were strong under the boards and were responsible for pushing Team Garvey’s ahead while Paul Dick continued to shine for Lisburn. Garvey’s led 22 to 20 at the end of the first quarter.

Lisburn’s Luke Dick was responsible for the first 10 points of the second quarter as he made several steals which he converted, two minutes in Lisburn led by eight as Garvey’s had yet to score. John Galvin was first to register for the home team and he added a bonus to his basket, from here he went on to dominate and by half time his personal tally was 24 points. However threes from Mike Calo and Simon Davidson ensured that Lisburn held a seven point lead at half time. Paul Dick who picked up an injury towards the end of the second quarter did not start the third for his side and was a loss as they lost focus and failed to score for the first seven minutes of the game. Team Garvey’s on the other hand were playing well, their defence was excellent and overall they were very much on target, a spread of scores saw the home team push well ahead as the quarter progressed.

Paul Dick was reintroduced to the game and made the first four points for his side who by the end of the quarter had registered just eight compared to Team Garvey’s who had 29, 13 of these from Varanaskus with Michael Broderick, Tom Fleming, Declan Wall and John Galvin all contributing to the remaining 16.

Team Garvey’s led 67 to 53 going into the final period and again all team members gave a huge performance up to the final buzzer. Jim Martin and Luke Dick both hit threes for Lisburn but they totalled just 19 for the quarter. Team Garvey’s defended well and made several steals during the quarter. They led 94 to 69 when Maurice Casey made two consecutive baskets and for the second time this season, as the clock ran down Niall Murphy made a bucket to hit the ton. Lisburns Jim Martin hit a three on the buzzer to see the final score read 100 for Team Garvey’s and 72 for Lisburn Star.

Team Garvey’s: John Galvin 33, Dainius Varanaskus 25, Michael Broderick 15, Declan Wall 10, Tom Fleming 8, Maurice Casey 4, Niall Murphy 2, Donal McCarthy 2, Conor Brosnan 1.
Lisburn Star: Paul Dick 16, Luke Dick 15, Mike Calo 14, Alan Ferris 11, Jim Martin 9, Simon Davidson 7.

On Sunday Team Garvey’s met Sligo All Stars in Castleisland. Garvey’s Declan Wall opened the scoring but Sligo’s Ian McMorrow was quick to respond. Despite having some turnovers in the early part the home side made a come back with scores coming from Fleming, Varanaskus and Galvin while Sligo’s Mc Morrow and O’Meara registered for their side but it was Garvey’s who led 17 to nine at the end of the first quarter. However they lost post player Michael Broderick to injury during the quarter.

Dainius Varanaskus stepped up his game in the second period, three steals and accurate shooting saw him total 13 for the quarter while Declan Wall’s game returned to what it had been before injury. The home side hit 26 points while holding Sligo to just 10. The half time score-line read 43 to 19 in favour of the home team.

Team Garvey’s played a very even final two quarters, registering 20 points in each, Declan Wall was in fine form as he made 25 in total for the game. Sligo’s Fergal Kelly was their best performer for the third quarter but they visitors made just a single basket in the final quarter to see Team Garvey’s win 83 to 32.

Team Garvey’s: Declan Wall 25, Dainius Varanaskus 23, Donal McCarthy 10, John Galvin 10, Tom Fleming 7, Maurice Casey 4, Brian Clernon 2, Niall Murphy 2. 

While Team Garvey’s are assured a place in the quarter finals they will have to wait until their final game next Saturday, when they play Titans in Galway to see whether or not they will have home venue.

Costly loss for Garvey’s

Team Garvey’s suffered their second defeat of the season when they went down to a strong Ballon side at the weekend. With three games remaining this loss sees them drop to second place in the conference and puts them under pressure for these final three games if they hope to secure home venue for their quarter final.

Ballon opened the scoring in Sunday’s game with a two from Dimiciukas but after a somewhat disorganized start, Garvey’s got their act together and John Galvin made two consecutive scores. While Heering came back to equalize, it was short lived as Dainius, Broderick and Galvin all hit the target and Declan Wall who is only just coming back from injury hit a big three on the buzzer to give the Castleisland lads a 13 to nine lead at the end of the first.

John Galvin opened the scoring in the second quarter but Ballon’s Cicenas responded and Heering added another, Galvin hit another before Heering made a three to leave Garvey’s ahead by just one, Michael Broderick built on this but Statkus hit another three to level. Ballon’s outside shooting was spectacular and rarely required a second attempt. Declan Wall and Heering exchanged threes to keep it interesting but from here in it was all Ballon.  Cepakuskas and Statkus went on a spree to see their side total 29 for the quarter compared to their visitors who made 17.

Garvey’s trailed by eight as the side entered the third and at this point they stepped up their defense. Once again Galvin opened the scoring and Dainius made another on a fast break.  Garvey’s made several attempts to get the inside shot but despite being awarded some fouls they only received baseline ball as against being awarded free throws. Maurice Casey made two and it now looked like Garvey’s were back in the game.  Cicenas made Ballon’s first score of the quarter three minutes in and Casey responded for Garvey’s to see Castleisland just two behind. Cepakuskas made two from the free throw line but Michael Broderick made two consecutive scores assisted by Declan Wall to see the sides level mid way through.  The sides exchanged scores for the remainder of the game but Ballon pulled away towards the end to lead by nine as the sides entered the final quarter.

John Galvin made two baskets to narrow the gap early in the final quarter but Heering and Aim both made threes to keep their side ahead.  Only eight points separated the sides with four minutes remaining but Heering made his fourth three of the game and from here Ballon took control and pushed ahead.  Overall they made 11 three pointers and were very accurate from the free throw line making it a difficult task for Garvey’s considering that Liam Brosnan, one of Garvey’s three point shooters is lost to injury and that Declan Wall is still recovering, however it now means that the remaining three games are vital ones for St. Mary’s to ensure a good placing for the quarter-finals.  

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 68 Ballon 86

Team Garvey’s: John Galvin 27, Dainius Varanaskus 13, Michael Broderick 13, Declan Wall 7, Maurice Casey 4, Tom Fleming 4.

Ballon: M. Cepakuskas 26, J. Jeering 20, T. Cicennas 15, A. Statkus 13, A. Dimiciukas 7, I. Aim 3, D. Pranaitis.

Team Garvey’s meet Lisburn in Castleisland on Saturday next February 28^th. Tip off is at the usual time of 8.15pm and on Sunday (March 1^st) they play Sligo All Stars in Castleisland, tip off is at 2.30 pm

Garvey’s Taste success

With just four games remaining in the league, Garvey’s continue to hold topspot in the Southern Conference following a home win over A Taste fo Europe at the weekend.  The opposition had a considerable height and strength advantage butthis did not deter the home team who opened with a basket and bonus point from Dainius Varanaskus who was top scorr on the night with 34 point in total. The oppositions Saranuas Zvirblinskas and Linas Mitkus were both very strong for their side and between them registered 14 of their first quarter 18 point but a spread of scores on the Garvey’s side including two threes from Tom Fleming saw the home team lead 25 to 18 at the end of the first quarter.

Early second quarter scores from John Galvin, Tom Fleming and Varanaskus saw Garvey’s push ahead but once again Mitkus, Zvirblinskas and Uzraugs  came backstrong and Taste of Europe won thequarter by a point to leave just six points between the sides at half time.

Several steals by Team Garvey’s allowed them to widen the gap in the third quarter.  Dainius Varanaskus opened with a three which was followed by Ruaraí Rahilly first of the game.Two steals by Varanaskus resulted in two more quick baskets.  Taste of Europe kept in touch with scores from Uzraugs, Skebas and Mitkus continued to dominate making 10for the quarter but by the end of the third Team Garvy’s held an 11 point lead.

John Galvin who had performed brilliantly indefence all through the game came into his own in the final period, again the home side made several steals to ensure that the kept their lead and built on it to run our winners by 16 points.

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 81  Taste of Europe 65

Team Garvey’s: Dainius Varanaskus 34, John Galvin 18, Tom Fleming 17, Maurice Casey 4, Michael Broderick, Donal McCarthy, Conor Brosnan and Ruaraí Rahilly 2 each.

Taste of Europe: Linas Mitkus 26, SaranausZvirblinskas 18, Renars Uzraugs 12, Mindaugas Skebas 4, Donatas Kalinskas 2, Andrius Gunta 2, Audrius Pauliukenas 1.

Garvey’s tame Lions

Limerick Lions put up a good battle on their home ground at the weekend but Team Garvey’s held on to keep their top spot in the league.

Lions won the tip but failed to score and a Tom Fleming rebound set Dainius Varanaskus up for the first score of the game. Lions went on to turn over the ball before finally finding their target. Varanaskus went on to make two more before Limerick ’s Aidan Holden sank a three. Tom Fleming responded but Matt Hall went on to make two more threes and Paul Leigh made another to see Limerick hold an 18 to 15 lead at the end of the first.

Garvey’s opened the second quarter with four from Varanaskus, two from John Galvin and three from Tom Fleming to see them go six points up before Adrian Walsh and Paul Kennedy both made score from outside but Garvey’s kept in control with Galvin and Varanaskus getting inside scores.  Declan Wall made his comeback from injury and was an asset for Garvey’s who were winning almost everything under the boards.  Limerick concentrated on the outside shot and while they were very much on target they gave themselves no second chances as they didn’t make much of an effort to contest rebounds.

Team Garvey’s led 37 to 28 at the interval.

Limerick changed their game somewhat in the third quarter and Matt Hall began to penetrate rather than take the outside shot but while his side managed 21 for the quarter they also picked up nine team fouls which put them under pressure as they had several players in foul trouble.  Garvey’s made 18 for the quarter leaving just six between the sides as they entered the final quarter.

John Galvin opened the final quarter with two and Matt Hall responded but Galvin went on to net two more quick baskets and Tom Fleming and Dainius hit threes for Garvey’s.  Garvey’s were up 67 to 56 with 5.57 remaining but Lions were not to be out done with

Paul Kennedy, Matt Hall and Paul Leigh all hitting big ones however John Galvin persevered and made 15 for the quarter and Declan Wall was good for another three to keep Garvey’s ahead.

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 84 Limerick Lions 74

Garvey’s: Dainius Varanaskus 27, John Galvin 25, Declan wall 11, Tom Fleming 10, Michael Broderick 8, Ruaraí Rahilly 3.

Limerick Lions: Matt Hall 28, Aidan Holden 14, Paul Kennedy 11, Paul Leigh 10, Adrian Walsh 8, Aidan O’Brien 2, Darragh Gaffney 1.

MENS NATIONAL CUP FINAL

Disapointment for Team Garveys

Article from www.basketballireland.ie

An Cearnog Nua of Moycullen lifted the Men’s Senior National Cup with a superb defensive display led by the Most Valuable Player Cian Nihill alongside their inspirational captain Nollaig Cunningham. 

The Galway men may have had to wait ten years to taste success in winning their first ever Senior title but according to their manager John Cunningham it was certainly worth the wait.

Maurice Casey collects his medal from Timmy Murphy Basketball Ireland.

“It’s unbelievable, we’re a long time trying to win a senior national title, we’re ten years in division one and to finally do it is fantastic,” before he outlined the future plans for the Moycullen club following their historic win.

“We’re looking to go superleague maybe next year or the year after so winning a trophy like this really caps it off, ten hard years on the road and we finally got there”.

Their opponents Team Garvey’s St Mary’s of Castleisland where first on the score board through a fine rebound from John Galvin before Moycullen’s Glenn Hynes squared matters up. 

Nollaig Cunningham celebrates.

Midway through the quarter the Galway side started to dominate around the boards and where rewarded with a succession of fine scores from Mindaugus Kurcenkovas and back to back baskets courtesy of Hynes and Nihill taking a ten point lead into the second quarter.

Their dominance continued around the basket while at the other end Mary’s squandered numerous opportunities both from the free throw line and open play in their attempt to claw back a 15 point deficit with five minutes left on the clock in the second.

The Kerry side’s first three pointer from Tom Fleming was their only highlight of the quarter as both offensively and defensively the Westerners piled on the pressure with excellent rebounding, lay ups and overall general play to lead by 42-26 at the break.

The third period of play was all about Nihill, who also topped the scoring charts with 17 points, as he almost single handedly wrapped up the quarter with superb offensive play, scoring nine points in the process while defensively he was unstoppable.

However one minute into the final quarter Nihill left the game after receiving his fifth personal foul while they also lost their captain to an a leg injury but they had a 29 point lead to soften the double blow.

But the win wasn’t down to one or two individuals it was all about a great defensive display from a team with James Loughnane as point guard through to the guards of Dylan Cunningham and Kurcenkovas alongside the forwards of Hynes, Eoghan Maxwell, Garnet Griffin, David Lee and Paul O’Brien to take the silverware back to the West.

Team Garvey’s St. Mary’s 42 (26) (D Baranauskas 14, J Galvin 11, M Broderick 5) 

An Cearnog Nua Moycullen 67 (42) (C Nihill 17, G Hynes 13, J Loughran 10)

MVP; Cian Nihill (An Cearnog Nua Moycullen)

MENS NATIONAL CUP FINAL

SAT 24/01/2009
13:30; National Basketball Arena
Men's Senior Cup final
Team Garvey's St. Mary's v An Cearnog Nua Moycullen

Time to put the Demons to rest.

Team Garvey’s Castleisland have been in the National League since 2003/04 season apart for a break in 05/06.  Year after year their two biggest rivals are Moycullen and Tolka Rovers.

In their first year out they were Southern Conference Champions and made the All Ireland Club semi finalist.

They lost out in the play-offs of the league the following year (04/05)

In 06/07 Team Garvey’s had their National league dreams shattered when Tolka Rovers took the quarter final by making good two free throws inside the last 10 seconds of what was a thriller of a game throughout. Earlier this season Tolka had also defeated them by 12 points in the cup.

The highlight of this season for Garvey’s was the fact that Declan Wall won senior men’s Basketball Ireland player of the year.

In 07/08 they  battled with Moycullen for second place in the Southern Conference to secure a home venue for the quarter finals, Garvey’s had had an 80 to 38 win over Moycullen early in the season and while that may have held put some hope for them they were well aware that this would be a much tougher challenge. Moycullen had the upper hand on the day winning 72 points to 59 and Team Garvey’s were forced to travel to Ballina where their dreams of reaching the semi-finals were shattered following an 84 to 66 victory for the home side.

Also in 07/08 the lads had success in their first round of the National Cup only to lose out to Tolka Rovers in the second round.

And so Garvey’s battle on. This season so far their only loss in the league has been to Moycullen, they won the return match and are now top of the table.

Their cup bid has seen them take Neptune, Sligo and rivals Tolka before a dramatic win over Ballina on home turf last weekend.  On Sunday last they conquered Tolka once more in a tough league game.  Can Garvey’s put all their demons to rest this season? We will know at around 3pm on Saturday January 14^th.

 Team Garvey’s 

#4 Donal McCarthy             
#5 Tom Fleming                                    
#7 Conor Brosnan                                   
#8 Declan Wall                
#9 Liam Brosnan             
#10 Brian Clernon             
#11 John Galvin              
#12 Dainius Varanauskas                           
#13 Michael Broderick                           
#14 Niall Murphy                                
#15 Maurice Casey                    
#20 Joe Watson   

Watch the Cup finals live on the web!

Best of luck to St. Mary's Basketball Club in the Cup finals this coming weekend. The U18 girls will play thier final against Glanmire on Friday night (Jan 23rd) at 6.30 and Team Garvey's will play Moycullen on Saturday at 1.30. 

The finals will be held in the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght and the good news for those who cannot travel is that the games can be viewed live on IrishSport.tv simply log on to www.basketballireland.ie and click on IrishSport.tv to see both games. 

Keep an eye on this site also throughout next week as it will show interviews with coaches and players from the weekend games.

Black and red flags are now available at Tommy Hickeys.Liz Galwey

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Team Garvey’s had a double header this weekend, following a win over neighbours Meadowlands St. Brendan’s on Saturday night they faced rivals Tolka Rovers in Castleisland on Sunday. As expected it was a very physical game.  Team Garvey’s got off to a brilliant start and led 16 points to five mid-way in the quarter. Team Captain Declan Wall was on fire and contributed 12 points to Garvey’s 27 for the first quarter.

Tolka got into the game in the latter part of the quarter by now they had picked up two unsportsman like fouls and both sides were in foul trouble. Garvey’s led by eight as the sides entered the second period and by now Tolka were back on form with both Eoin Quill and Mark Walsh contributing hugely however Garvey’s kept up their performance and despite losing the quarter by a point they held a seven point lead at the interval.

The third quarter was as closely contested as the second, two early three from Declan Wall pushed the home side ahead but Tolka’s Roma Dolgoter’s accuracy from the free throw line kept them in touch.  Brian Clernon and John Galvin were strong under the boards despite a height disadvantage. Both Wall and Tom Fleming made late threes to see Garvey’s take the quarter by two and increase their lead to nine going into the final quarter.

Fifty per cent  of the scoring in the final quarter came from the free throw line as the game continued to be extremely physical.  Both sides managed 23 points. Tolka’s Eoin Quill shone throughout the game and was outstanding from the three point line but was no match for Garvey’s Declan Wall on this occasion, Dainius Varanauskas was also in fine form through out the game and was top scorer with 31 points.  For the home side it was a challenging game ahead of their cup final next week and they certainly stood up to the challenge.

Final Score:  Team Garvey’s 98            Tolka Rovers 89

Team Garvey’s: Dainius Varanauskas 31, Declan Wall 28, John Galvin 18, Tom Fleming 11, Brian Clernon 8 Maurice Casey 2.

Tolka Rovers: Eoin Quill 20, Roma Dolgetor 15, Bernard Walsh 14, Janis Assers 9, Mark Walsh 9, Paddy Boylan 8, Marek Weslowski 5, Tom Davy 4, Jim Quill  and John Nrady 2

Team Garvey’s had a good win over St. Brendan’s at the weekend.  They led 22 to 12 at the end of the first quarter and had increased their lead to 22 points at half time.  

The Brendan’s side were young and stayed with the game throughout despite their impossible task. It was all over by the end of the third quarter with Garvey’s holding a 27 point lead.

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 88 Meadowlands St. Brendan’s 62

Team Garvey’s: Declan Wall 22, Dainius Varanauskaa 20, John Galvin 17, , Donal Mccarthy 10, Brian Clernon 5, Tom Fleming 4, Maurice Casey 4, Ml. Broderick 3.

Basketball Ireland Men’s National Cup Semi-Final 

Final Score:  Team Garvey’s 71 Loftus Recycling Ballina 70

Liz Galwey

The second big win for St. Mary’s was in the senior men’s semi-final when Team Garvey’s had a one point win over Ballina in a cracker of a game.

The sides were basket for basket throughout the first two quarters. Deora Marsh and Liam McHale both giving a fine performance for Ballina while Dainius Varanauskas was responsible for 11 of Garvey’s 23 points with the remainder coming from Declan Wall, John Galvin, Liam Brosnan and Michael Broderick.Garvey’s led 26 to 23 at the end of the first quarter.

Liam Brosnan and Paul Barrett exchanged scores early in the second quarter and Tom Fleming hit two threes and Brosnan made another but Ballina’s Peter Papik nailed three baskets, Marsh and McHale  added scores to see Ballina take a one point lead at half time. Just before the interval Liam Brosnan sustained an injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season.  Brosnan, whose experience and skill is invaluable, is an excellent three-point shooter has scored 145 points in the league so far this season for team Garvey’s, he will be a huge loss to the team.

Liam McHale opened with a three in the third quarter and in the early part of the quarter Garvey’s appeared tired; they trailed by six points just three minutes in. Tom Fleming reduced this to four and John Galvin brought it back down to two mid way in the quarter.  Declan Wall made two consecutive steals, the first saw no return but he nailed the second to level. John Galvin netted another but Papik came back with two from the free throw line.  Brian Clernon sank a fantastic three and although this was the turning point, Garvey’s sprang into action and played as they normally do. Dainius was accurate from the free throw line and Declan Wall made yet another steal to set John Galvin up for two. Galvin then made a steal to set tom Fleming up for a basket. They were defending well at this point and running fast breaks.  Ballina failed to score for almost four minutes despite having some opportunity. Tom Fleming made one last basket for Garvey’s to put them 10 points ahead at the end of the third quarter.

Brian Clernon hit another three at the start of the final quarter but Ballina came back with scores from Papik and Mustapha, they were now winning all their own rebounds and Garvey’s had slipped back on defence and missed some shots opportunities. McHale and Dainius exchanged three point shots and John Galvin made another for Garvey’s. The next six points came from Ballina to put them back on top by a single point with just 1.04 on the clock. Team Garvey’s turned the ball over and Mustapha made good for Ballina but got fouled out shortly afterwards. Fouls and free throws were exchanged and Garvey’s still trailed by three until John Galvin made a two to bring Garvey’s back to within a point of their opponents. It looked as though it was all over for Garvey’s when Paul Barrett had an opportunity to increase Ballina’s lead from the free throw line with just 14 seconds remaining but he failed to convert. 

Garvey’s won possession and Dainius up a shot but missed, they won the rebound and Dainius made a second attempt at the target, much to the delight of the numerous supporters he was successful and Garvey’s went back up one. 2.4 seconds remained on the clock and Ballina called a time out, possession was now from the halfway line.  Brian Clernon took the opportunity to remind his players that they were on team fouls and did not need to make any mistakes. The ball was put in but Clernon tapped it away form the hands of its intended and the buzzer signalled the end of the game confirming a one point victory for Team Garvey’s.

Team Garvey’s: Dainius Varanaskus 19, John Galvin 15, Tom Fleming 12, Declan Wall 9, Liam Brosnan 7, Brian Clernon 7, Michael Broderick 2.

Loftus Recycling Ballina: Peter Papik 22, Liam McHale 16, Deora Marsh 13, Paul Barrett 9, Taofik Mustapha 8, William Popplewell 2.

Despite a shaky start, Team Garvey’s emerged as winners once again in their local derby against Killarney Heights St. Paul’s.  St. Paul ’s had the edge on the home team up to half time.  Point guard Paudie Fleming was in fine form and registered five of Paul’s 14 points for the quarter, Andrew Fitzgerald made full use of his height winning ball and converting on the inside. A spread of scores from Team Garvey’s saw them hold a four point lead at the end of the quarter, Tom Fleming and Declan Wall each netted threes while John Galvin and Dainius were responsible for the inside scores, John Galvin and Michael Broderick were doing well under the boards however the home team missed a lot in the opening quarter.

Killarney Heights had a brilliant second quarter again it was Paudie Fleming who stood out along with Andrew Fitzgerald.  Brian Clarke made his comeback to the Basketball scene and also registered five of the 23 points scored by his side in the quarter.  Team Garvey’s were still finding it difficult to hit their target despite having several opportunities however eight points from Liam Brosnan kept them in touch.  Maurice Casey was introduce by the home side and his presence had an immediate effect on the game but they trailed by five at the half-time interval.

Garvey’s settled in the third quarter and took control of the game.  Defensively they played brilliantly and won several fast breaks all of which they converted.  Maurice Casey continued to do well for Garvey’s by limiting their option of the inside shot and winning most of the rebounds.  Garvey’s pushed further and further ahead as the game progressed. Dainius was now playing well and was accurate both from play and the free throw line.  He converted four free throws received when Paul’s received a double technical and Liam Brosnan added a basket from the possession. Having scored 24 points in the quarter, Team Garvey’s led by 10 at the end of the third period.

From here in the game was over, Garvey’s played well as a team right up to the buzzer and held a 22 point lead at one point during the final quarter. 

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 79 Killarney Heights St. Paul’s 63

Team Garvey’s: Dainius Varanaskus 27, Declan Wall 15, Liam Brosnan 15, John Galvin 12, Niall Murphy 4, Tom Fleming 3, Donal McCarthy 2.

Killarney Heights St. Paul’s: Andrew Fitzgerald 26, Paudie Fleming 11, Brian Clarke 9, Padraig Lucey 6, Jarlaith Lee 4, Keith Grady 3, James Fleming 2, Philip O’Connor 2.

Team Garvey’s play Moycullen this coming Saturday in Castleisland.

Team Garvey’s became the third St. Mary’s team to qualify for the cup semi-finals following their 24-point victory over long time rivals Tolka Rovers on Saturday night.

For the past few seasons Tolka have been a thorn in the side to the Castleisland team but the tables were turned at the weekend.

The first quarter was close finishing with just five points separating the sides. Dainius Varanaskus was in top form for Garvey’s netting 15 of their first quarter 26 points.

Declan Wall, who did an excellent job controlling the game from the point, made the first five points of the second quarter for Garvey’s.  Tom Fleming defended well on the outside while Michael Broderick made things difficult for Tolka on the inside.  John Galvin was having a great game and had netted 15 points in the first two quarters and by half time Garvey’s had increased their lead to 12 points.

John Galvin continued to perform consistently in the remaining two quarters and matched his first half tally.  Maurice Casey’s presence on the court prevented Tolka from seeking the inside shot and as the game progressed Garvey’s broke well away from their opponents and finished 24 points ahead.

The game was, as expected, very physical.  Tolka lost both Bernard Walsh and Paddy Boland to foul trouble before the final buzzer.

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 90 Tolka Rovers 66

Team Garvey’s: John Galvin 30, Dainius Varanaskus 22, Declan Wall 20, Liam Brosnan 8, Tom Fleming 4, Michael Broderick 4 and Maurice Casey 2.

Team Garvey’s will meet Ballina in the next round of the cup on January 10^th.

Mean while Team Garvey’s are at home on Thursday night next when they meet Killarney Heights St. Paul’s in Castleisland.  Tip off is at 8.15pm

Team Garvey’s had a narrow but comfortable win over Taste of Europe in Limerick at the weekend.

Garvey’s opened with two points from the tip. While their opponents had several misses Garvey’s John Galvin and Dainius Varanaskus registered six points each many of which were set up by Liam Brosnan and Declan Wall. Two threes kept Taste of Europe in touch.  They had a considerable height advantage, which deterred Garvey’s from winning rebounds.  The score at the end of the first quarter was 18 points to 12 in favour of Team Garvey’s.

Team Garvey’s managed 26 points in the second quarter but had several misses which could have put them in a more comfortable position at the interval.  Garvey’s went ahead by ten on several occasions but then allowed Taste of Europe back before eventually going 12 ahead at half time.

Taste of Europe’s biggest threat on the night was Linas Mitkus, their 6’6” centre whose was impossible to keep out. Garvey’s Michael Broderick picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter.  Garvey’s went through a bad patch where shots were not falling and a few turnovers were made. John Galvin was Garvey’s main scorer for the third quarter while both Liam Brosnan and Dainius made scores from the free throw line. Failure to rebound cost Garvey’s as Taste of Europe were more accurate in their shooting and won the quarter by a point reducing the gap to eleven as the sides entered the final quarter.

Tom Fleming opened the fourth with a two and three to push Garvey’s ahead, John Galvin continued to make scores inside but Taste of Europe responded to all.  Although the final score saw only 11 points separate the sides Garvey’s were clear leaders throughout the game.

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 86  Taste of Europe 75

Team Garvey’s: Dainius Varanaskus 26, John Galvin 24, Liam Brosnan 13, Tom Fleming 11, Declan Wall 6, Michael Broderick 6.

Taste of Europe: Linas Mitkus 27, Sarunas Zvirblinskas 13, Glendrius Stanisauskis 10, Vitalijus Samsonovas 8, Donatas Kalinskas 6, Tomas Narkiewicz & Damian Serwatka 4 each, Andrius Gunta 3.

Team Garvey’s continue to top the table with eight wins from nine games following a victory over Limerick Lions on Sunday despite having both Brian Clernon and Liam Brosnan out with injuries. Garvey’s, who had home advantage opened with a brilliant first quarter netting three threes and a 16 points from play.  Declan Wall had 10 points for the quarter, Dainius Varanauskas made nine, Donal McCarthy two and John Galvin four while Michael Broderick was the one winning all the ball under the boards and denying Limerick Lions any second shot at the target.  Lions trailed 25 to 11 as the clock ran down until Aidan Holden sank a three on the buzzer.

Galvin and Broderick continued to defend brilliantly in the second quarter but the home side had several turnovers which gave Limerick the opportunity to make up some ground. A spread of scores from Lions saw them take the quarter by three points to reduce the gap to just eight points at the half time interval.

Garvey’s had to work harder than their opponents for points in the third quarter, while scores came form a variety of players on the home team they also had several misses meanwhile  Limerick made light work of the task by netting four three’s courtesy of Matthew Hall, Paul Kennedy, Aidan Holden and Adrian Walsh. The sides registered 20 points a piece.

The score was 58 to 50 in favor of Team Garvey’s at the start of the final quarter.  Garvey’s true form shone through in this quarter. Donal McCarthy, who had a brilliant overall game, opened with two, from here in all players contributed to the 26 point total for the quarter. Limerick had no answer to their opponents in this final quarter, they managed just six points from play and six more from the free throw line, eight of their 12 coming from Matthew Hall. Garvey’s led by a comfortable 16 when Conor Brosnan made two and Niall Murphy added more inside the final two minutes to give them a 22 point win on the buzzer.

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 84 Limerick Lions 62

Team Garvey’s:  Dainius Varanauskas 22, John Galvin 17, Declan Wall 17, Michael Broderick 8, Donal McCarthy 8, Niall Murphy 4, Tom Fleming 4, Conor Brosnan 2 and Maurice Casey 2.

Limerick Lions: Matthew Hall 21, Aiden Holden 10, Adrian Walsh 9, Adian O’Brien 6, Trevor Moore 6, Shane Freeman 5, Paul Kennedy 5.

 Team Garvey’s meet Taste of Europe in Limerick on Saturday next at 6. 30pm

Team Garvey’s were not put out by the 700K round trip up west this past weekend.  On Saturday they met Sligo All Stars in the Cup.  Garvey’s trailed by four at the end of the first quarter, Sligo’s Shane O’Meara and Fergal Kelly having both had a good run netting 14 points of their sides 18 between them while for Garvey’s Dainius Varanauskas was on form both from play and from the free throw line where six of their 14 points came from.

Team Garvey’s stepped up in the second period and out scored their opponents by five to give them a one point lead as the sides entered the third quarter.

From here in Garvey’s played brilliant defense, Dainius continued to hit the target and Tom Fleming hit two threes towards the end of the quarter to see Garvey’s total 25 points while holding Sligo to just 11.

Garvey’s continued to defend well in the final quarter while simultaneously widening the margin. Once again Dainius went on a scoring spree, Brian Clernon and Declan Wall joined him netting five and eight points respectively.  For Sligo it was Shane O’Meara who kept them in touch by hitting three threes.  Garvey’s were 17 points up when as the clock ran out Joe Watson put the icing on the cake with a three on the buzzer.

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 93 Sligo All Stars 72  

Team Garvey’s: Dainius Varanauskas 38, Declan Wall 16, John Galvin 12, Tom Fleming 10, Donal McCarthy 9, Brian Clernon 5, Joe Watson 3.

Team Garvey’s made the trip from Sligo to Ballina on Saturday night for their game against Loftus Ballina on Sunday.  The last time the sides had met was in the league quarter final last season when Ballina had com out on top. The game started in a similar fashion to the Sligo game with Garvey’s trailing by three at the end of the first quarter. They battled to come out on top in the second quarter to see the sides level at 28 points a piece by half time.  In similar style to the previous night Dainius Varanauskas was in fine form, he shot 10 of his sides 12 points for the first quarter, in the second quarter it was Brian Clernon and John Galvin who controlled the boards with bus driver for the weekend Michael Broderick registering his first score of the game while Donal McCarthy also made his first score of the game.

Garvey’s picked up on defense in the third quarter, Donal McCarthy did a brilliant job on Liam McHale, holding him to just five points in total for the game.  Garvey’s totaled 25 points in this quarter and held Ballina to just nine giving them a 16 point lead going into the final quarter.

They played just as well in the final denying Ballina of winning any rebounds from play while pushing further and further ahead and taking the game by 31 points.

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 76 Loftus Ballina 45

Team Garvey’s:Dainius Varanauskas 27, John Galvin 17, Declan Wall 9, Brian Clernon 9, Michael Broderick 7, Donal McCarthy 6,  

Team Garvey’s meet Limerick Lions on Sunday next Nov 23^rd at 3.15 pm in Castleisland.

 AOL Waterford was left in no doubt as to the capabilities of Team Garvey’s on Saturday last when the sides met in W.I.T.  The Castleisland sides were on fire from the tip and within three minutes led 13 points to two.  Liam Brosnan opened with a three, Waterford’s Kieran Nyhan responded with two but from here it was Garvey’s who commanded the boards from most of the quarter, Liam Brosnan taking care of the outside shots and totaling 11 for the quarter while John Galvin took care of scores inside netting 10 for the quarter, Tom Fleming, Dainius Varanauskas and Donal McCarthy all made contributions to see Garvey’s finish with 30 points.  Although it had looked bleak for Waterford in the early part, Larry Murphy came to the rescue for his team to make three late threes to leave them with 15 points at the end of the quarter.

Garvey’s continued to widen the gap in the second period, as in the first John Galvin was in command when it came to defensive rebounding and a spread of scores saw them total 18 points this quarter while their excellent defense kept held AOL to just eight points. Half time score was 48 to 23 in favour of Team Garvey’s.

Waterford ’s Gary Walsh had a good run in the third quarter and was responsible for 12 of his sides 16 points scored but they got into early foul trouble and gave away a lot from the free throw line.  Team Garvey’s has quite a few misses in this quarter but still outscored their opponents by two.

Waterford finally found their target in the last quarter, Larry Murphy hit three threes to narrow the 27 point gap that had separated the sides at the start of the quarter.  Tom Fleming, John Galvin and Dainius Varanauskas all made scores from play for Garvey’s while Brian Clernon, Conor Brosnan and Donal McCarthy added points from the free throw line however they were outscored in this last quarter by six points.

 Final Score: Team Garvey’s 84    AOL Waterford 65

 Team Garvey’s meet Sligo in Sligo on Saturday next at 7.30pm in the Cup and will play Ballina on Sunday in Ballina at. 1.30 in the league.

Having registered a win over local rivals St. Brendan’s on Thursday night, Team Garvey’s added another on Sunday when they played a cross conference game against Portlaoise.

Liam Brosnan opened with a three for Garvey’s with John Galvin, Dainius, Donal McCarthy, Declan Wall and Maurice Casey all added points to put them ahead by five at the end of the first quarter.

Garvey’s widened the gap by another two points in the second quarter Maurice Casey showing the way this time with both Michael Broderick and Brian Clernon  putting their mark on the score sheet. Pierce Fagan was having a great game for Portlaoise and by half time had registered 12 points but it was Garvey’s who led 33 to 26 at he interval.

Liam Brosnan was first to register for Garvey’s in the third quarter but they went through a rough patch mid-way and trailed by seven until Declan Wall hit three threes in a row, Tom Fleming made a two and converted one from the free throw line when Wall came back with yet another three to match Portlaoise’s 20 points for the quarter and put Garvey’s back on top.

Garvey’s defended well in the final quarter and capitalised on the good run from the third quarter. They held Portlaoise to just seven points while netting 22 and taking the game by as many points.

Final score: Portlaoise 53 Team Garvey’s 75

Garvey’s: Declan Wall 19, John Galvin 14,  Tom Fleming 12, Liam Brosana 11, Maurice Casey 6, Michael Broderick 5, Donal McCarthy 4,  Dainius Varanaskus 2, Brian Clernon 2.

Team Garvey’s play away to Waterford on Saturday next November 8^th. Tipoff is at 19.30 in W.I.T.

The first of this seasons clashes between local rivals Team Garvey’s and Meadowlands St. Brendan’s took place in Castleisland on Thursday last.

Mark Mitchell opened the scoring for Brendan’s, Michael Broderick responded for Garvey’s. Meadowlands won  most of the bounds at both ends of the court in the early part of the game.  Mark Mitchell went on a scoring spree pushing Brendan’s temporarily ahead but Garvey’s made some vital steals which they converted putting them five points ahead at the end of the first period.

St. Brendan’s got into foul trouble early in the second quarter. Thomas Saltonas picked up his third and was subbed out.  He was a huge loss on the floor for his side. Dainius Varanaskus came into his own for Team Garvey’s who went 11 points ahead before late scores from Joseph O’Callaghan and Mark Mitchell brought Brendan’s back to within nine points of their opponents at half time.

Garvey’s took control of the game from the third quarter. John Galvin, Brian Clernon and Dainius were superb in defence winning most rebounds. Galvin thrilled the crowd when he completed a fast break with a dunk, teammates Declan Wall, Tom Fleming and Dainius all added scores but each time Garvey’s got comfortable ahead they got lazy and allowed their opponents to make up ground. Fergal O’Sullivan and Mark Mitchell were the main scorers for Brendan’s for the quarter but their side trailed by 15 as the sides entered the final quarter.

Garvey’s kept the pressure on throughout the final quarter they continued to win ball defensively.  Both Fergal O’Sullivan and Paul O’Riordan registered scores for Meadowlands in this quarter but overall the Tralee side were not finding their target.

Niall Murphy made a late score to see Garvey’s take the game by 21 points.  

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 84 Meadowlands St. Brendan’s 63

Team Garvey’s: Dainius Varanaskus 24, John Galvin 21, Tom Fleming 13, Declan Wall 7, Michael Broderick 6, Liam Brosnan 5, Brian Clernon and Niall Murphy 3 and Maurice Casey 2.

Meadowlands St. Brendan’s: Fergal O’Sullivan 18, Mark Mitchell 13, Paul O’Riordan 9, Joseph O’Callaghan 8, Thomas Saltonas 6, Mark Sheehy 5, Robert O’Sullivan and James Murphy 2 each.

Team Garvey’s crossed the first hurdle in this seasons National Cup with ease as they had a comfortable win at home on Saturday last.

Neptune were forced to take an early time out to try and counter act the damage done following threes from Liam Brosnan and Declan Wall and a basket from John Galvin all inside the first two minutes of the game.

Ronan O’Sullivan was first to find the target for Neptune but Liam Brosnan responded quickly whit a two and added two more threes to his tally of11 for the first quarter.  Both Brian Clernon and John Galvin were winning all defensive rebounds and making it very difficult for Neptune to attempt anything inside. Garvey’s were 15 points ahead with just over two minutes to play in the first quarter and while Neptune managed to make 10 for the quarter it was Garvey’s who were well set up on the buzzer having managed 29 points.

The second quarter was much the same with Garvey’s netting 28 points, Declan Wall and Tom Fleming hitting three’s while John Galvin continued to win ball under the ball as well as delighting the crowd with a dunk. The scoreboard read 57 to 25 at half time in favour of Team Garvey’s.

Neptune upped the pressure in the third quarter and held Garvey’s to a miserable seven points for the quarter but still only managed 13 themselves.  Leaving the home team 26 points ahead going into the final period.

Ronan O’Sullivan and Gordon Fitzgerald were strongest for Neptune throughout the game and they kept their side in touch during the final quarter but were in foul trouble early in the quarter and gave away five points from the free throw line, Garvey’s added13 from play to this to run out winners.   

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 82 Neptune 53 

Top Scorers: Team Garvey’s: Dainius Varanaskus 18, John Galvin 16, Tom Fleming 13, Declan Wall 12.

Neptune: Gordon Fitzgerald 20, Ronan O’Sullivan 11, Jason O’Callaghan and Thomas O’Sullivan 7 each.

Team Garvey’s meet Meadowlands St. Brendan’s in Castleisland on Thursday next October 30^th.  Tip off is at 8.15pm.  

Team Garvey’s suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday last at the lhands of a strong Moycullen team.  Moycullen had several members of their 2008 U20 cup winning team on board and from the tip they let it be known that they meant business. Although Garvey’s won the tip they failed to convert and Moycullen took the rebound and netted the first score of the game.  Offensively, Team Garvey’s were challenged throughout the game.  Moycullen played a tight defense and made it near impossible for Team Garvey’s to shoot.  As a result Garvey’s had several turnovers but despite this only two points separated the sides at the end of the first quarter.

Moycullen started the second quarter well and mid-way through held a 15 point lead but Team Garvey’s made a great comeback with 11 points coming from Dainius Varanaskus and by half time only five points separated the sides.

Cian Nihill came into his own for Moycullen during the third quarter, to this point he had secured 10 points for his side but added a further nine during the third quarter.  Team Garvey’s however reduced the gap further, threes came from Liam Brosnan and Brian Clernon while Donal McCarthy and Dainius add two each, the remainder of Garvey’s scores for the quarter came from the free throw line.  Garveys outscored Moycullen by two for the period leaving just three points between the sides as they entered the final quarter.

Cian Nihill went on a spree again in the final quarter adding 11 to his tally. Team Garvey’s lost Brian Clernon to foul trouble.  Moycullen’s defense proved once again to be a problem for Team Garvey’s who managed only six points in the final quarter while their opponents mad 13 to come out winners by 15. Top scorer for the game was Cian Nihill who had 33 points.

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 54 Moycullen 69

Team Garvey’s  Dainius Varanaskus 19, Liam Brosnan 13, Brian Clernon 8, John Galvin 6, Donal McCarthy 5, Michael Broderick 3.

Moycullen: Cian Nihill 33, g. Griffin 14, Glenn Hynes 13, E. Maxwell 4, D. Cunningham 3, Nollaig Cunningham 2. 

Team Garvey’s meet Neptune in the National Cup on Saturday next in Castleisland. Tip off is at 8.15pm

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Team Garvey’s finished the week off with a one point win over Titans in a thriller of a game on Saturday to give them three wins in their first three league games of the season.

The game was close from the start with a spread of scores coming from both sides.  Titans had started well going ahead by seven inside the first two minutes but some brilliant defense from both Brian Clernon and John Galvin was converted to scores and the home team led 17 points to 15 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter saw both sides net 19 points, for titans it was former super league player Paul Freeman who was most impressive while once again scores were evenly spread amongst the team Garvey’s squad.

Titans picked up the pace in the third quarter.  matched his second quarter tally of seven points while at this point in the game Team Garvey’s seemed to lose focus and had several miss-hits. Titans outscored the home side by four and led 55 to 51 going into the final quarter.

Titans increased their lead early in the final quarter and with just six and a half minutes remaining they held a seven point lead.  Team Garvey’s, who had missed several opportunities, did not make their first score of the final quarter until five minutes in.

This came from John Galvin and was quickly added to with a three from Liam Brosnan and scores from the free throw line from both Brosnan and Dainus Varanaskus.

The gap was reduced to two points with just three minutes remaining and a three from Tom Fleming saw Team Garvey’s take the lead once again Pauliud Peldzius had an opportunity from the free throw line to put his side ahead again but he missed the first and made the second to see the sides level with a minute and a half on the clock.

Garvey’s had possession with a minute to go, they shot and missed but although Titans won the rebound they immediately turned it over and sent Dainius to the free throw line for Team Garvey’s.  He netted one putting the home side ahead.

With nine seconds remaining Titans had possession; they shot on the buzzer but failed to score giving the home side a win.

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 64 Titans 63

St. Mary’s: Declan Wall 14, Liam Brosnan 13, Dainius Varanaskus 12, John Galvin 12, Michael Broderick 4, Brian Clernon 4, Tom Fleming 3 and Donal McCarthy 2.

Titans: Paul Freeman 19, Rimvydas Visockas 16, Danny Finn 8, Darren Callanan 6, Pauliud Peldzius 5, Jack Considine 5, Conall Mac Michael 3, Sarunas Zvirblinskass 1.

Team Garvey’s meet Moycullen in NUIG at 4pm Saturday October 18^th and on Saturday 25^th October they meet Neptune in the Cup in Castleisland.

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Team Garvey’s had a comprehensive win over Longford Falcons when they played their first National League game of the season last weekend.  This first game of the season was one of eight cross conference games that the will be played over the next 26 weeks and it was brilliant start to the season.  Longford Falcons however it was their second league game as they had had a game also on Saturday night and were undeniably tired from this.

Team Garvey’s opened with a series of scores from Dainius Varanaskaus and Brian Clernon who are both new to the squad this season and also from Declan Wall and Liam Brosnan. By the end of the first quarter Garvey’s held a comfortable 23-point lead.

The second quarter saw John Galvin and Declan Wall contribute to increasing the lead further.  Team Garvey’s proved to be extremely accurate on the day increasing their lead as the game progressed.  By half-time 33 pints separated the sides and Longford were showing signs of having has a game the previous night.

A spread of scores in the third and fourth quarters saw Garvey’s score an all time high of 102 points and take the game by 55 points in what given the number of games and double header weekends should make an interesting division one men’s league. this season.

Final Score: Team Garvey’s 102  Longford Falcons 47

Team Garvey’s; Declan Wall 24. Tom Fleming 18, Liam Brosnan 16, Daniaus Varanaskaus 16, Brian Clernon 10, John Galvin 7, Conor Brosnan 3, Donal McCarthy 2, Niall Murphy 2, Maurice Casey 2, Joe Watson 2.

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Team Garvey’s Castleisland have announced details of some new signings for the forthcoming  basketball    season. Former St. Mary’s member Brian Clernon will join them.  Clernon, a native of Kanturk is to be player coach and is expected to be a huge asset to the side. He is no stranger to St. Mary’s as he played National league with River Island St. Mary’s in the ‘96/’97 season; from here he joined St. Paul’s with whom he played Super League in 1998, next stop was Blue Demons in 1999 where Brian had a hugely successful few years winning the Super League and two National Cups .He retired in 2006 having captained Demons for four years. Last season Clernon played with his native Kanturk before completing the circle and rejoining St. Mary’s. Garvey’s have also signed Dainius Varanaskus, a former St. Paul’s member.

The season is expected a tough one with each team in the Southern Conference playing each other twice while playing each of the Northern conference teams once, this amounts to a total of 22 league games in all and of course at least one Cup game each.  However for Kerry basketball fanatics it should make an exciting season as with the inclusion of St. Paul’s, there are now three Kerry teams in the men’s division one league.

Team Garvey’s, who are sponsored by Garvey’s Supervalu for the fifth season, will tip of their season on Sunday October 5^th   at 2pm, when they are away to Longford Falcons.  Then on Wednesday October 8^th all roads lead to Killarney Sports complex when they meet St. Paul’s. Team Garvey’s first home game will be on Saturday October 11^th against Titans of Galway.  Tip off at 8pm in Castleisland Community Centre.

In club news St. Mary’s have announced that, under the heads of agreement, they have linked with Super League side Tralee Tigers.

This agreement is made between the clubs with the objective of working in partnership to assist in the development of each entity, with the overall objectives of developing the game of basketball and the Super League Licence. The Super League Licence will provide the potential outlet for St. Mary’s players to play Super league.

Tralee Tigers are expected to play a super league game against Dublin side Hoops in Castleisland on November 1^st.