SENIOR MENS CUP - SEMI FINAL 2

Loftus Recycling Ballina 70 Team Garvey’s St. Mary’s 71

Senior Mens Cup

Top scorers
P Park   22          D Varanauskas 19
L McHale 16        J Galvin 15
D Marsh 13         T Fleming 12
 
 
Darius the hero as Garvey's take victory
 
A Darius Varanauskas tip-in on an inbound play with three seconds remaining sealed victory for Team Garvey's in a close and exciting tussel in the second semi-final of the Senior Men's Cup this evening.  Peter Park seemed to have made the game safe for Ballina when he put them 3 up with 14 seconds remaining but a John Galvin lay-up and a Ballina turn over set the scene for the dramatic winner from Varanauskas.

Team Garvey's got off to the better start with Declan Wall and Darius on fire as they went into an early lead 23 to 13.  But the experienced heads of Ballina kept at it and two threes from Liam McHale and two more baskets from Deora Marsh had the deficit just three, 23:26 at the end of the quarter.

 
The second quarter picked up from where the first left off as both sides went basket for basket.  Peter Park shone for ballina with three baseline drives for six points.  Liam Brosnan with two shots and Tom Fleming with a couple of three pointers meant that there was only a point between them at the half.

Team Garvey's took control of the game in the third quarter with seven points from John Galvin and when Brian Clernon hit a big three there was ten points between the sides.  Ballina had failed to score for four minutes and at the end of the third the score was 48 to 58 in favour of Garvey's.

Brian Clernon opened the fourth quarter with a three but Taofik Mustafa and Peter Park replied with baskets for Ballina.  Another three from Darius, however, put ten between them again.  A Liam McHale three-pointer with five minutes to go signalled the Ballina rally.  Park and Marsh hit nice baskets inside, Mustafa got a put-back and a steal for two more and suddenly Ballina were a point to the good at 67 to 66.  Another Mustafa basket put Ballina up by three.  Brian Clernon then hit one of two free throws to narrow the gap to two but then gave away a foul to allow Park to restore the Ballina three point lead with 14 seconds remaining.  It seemed they had done enough but a great lay-up from John Galvin set the scene for the dramatic winner from Varanauskas.
 

Niall Murphy congratulates team mate Declan Wall after a dramatic victory.

Murt Murphy interview Brian Clernon and Declan Wall after their semi final victory

Tom Fleming taking a quick breather and reflects on a fantastic semi final win over Balllina