Scott’s Lakers 71
Galway Titans 92
Report: Enda Walshe
Scott’s Lakers found the Titans too tough a nut to crack in an entertaining President’s National Cup contest played in Ballyfoyle Community Centre in Castlegar in Galway.
The Titans have made a very impressive start to the national league season and that form transferred to the cup as they had too much for Ron Howard’s gallant side.
A rapid fire start to the first quarter meant the Lakers were chasing the game from the onset and, to their credit, they battled hard but could never get a firm grip on the game.
Michael Hayes the mercurial Titans talisman, had plundered 44 points in the league encounter two weeks ago but on this occasion his contribution was more as a provider.
Credit to the Lakers they held him to 19 points but he dished out an incredible 14 assists with Irish underage international Declan Gbinige and Charles Yassi Pepin the primary recipients.
Despite the slow start the Lakers, with Mikah Blackwell and Darnell Snyers influential, did get within six towards the end of the first half but a poor third quarter cost them dearly again.
It was Gbinigie and Pepin who put the foundation down early, aided by the slick promptings of Joseph Coughlan and Matthew Sweeney. They accounted for their sides opening twelve points but Eoin Carroll did some nice work inside to get the Lakers off the mark.
Blackwell then danced in to dunk the ball home, the score acting as a spur for the home side to kick on.
Hayes opened his account to push the lead out further but the introduction of Abdul Oladipupo improved the Lakers. He combined with Carroll and Blackwell but Sweeney’s buzzer-beating three made it double scores at quarters end, 28-14.
Pepin and Brian Gaffney stretched out the lead but the Lakers upped the ante dramatically. Snyers, Blackwell and Eoin Carroll went on a 11-0 scoring run, prompting a Titans timeout.
Pepin was on three fouls but there was no let up as Gbinigie was just as effective inside. Despite that and Hayes hitting three baskets on the bounce, Snyers and Blackwell made sure it was a manageable game, with the half-time deficit at 48-38.
The third quarter was definitely the moving period as Gbinigie was again rampant and despite threes from Rui Saravia and Jamie O’Sullivan the gap was back out to 17, 61-44. The Lakers rotated their line up trying to garner momentum but it was all with the Titans as Joseph Coughlan turned tormentor-in-chief. Hayes continued to play provider and a low scoring input from the Lakers saw them trail by 71-49 turning for home.
The fourth quarter started in a similar fashion to the second, with the Titans possibly resting on their laurels. Killarney’s Senan O’Leary, lining out with the Titans, hit an early three but that prompted a 12-point flurry from the Lakers through Snyers and Blackwell.
Oisin Spring was then on the floor and with the gap cut to 12 a grandstand finish might have been a possibility. But that scenario was well and truly ended by the Titans trio of Hayes, Gbinigie and Pepin who again applied the foot on the accelerator.
Mikah Blackwell was the game’s top scorer on 31, Darnell Snyers hit 14, Eoin Carroll nine, Jack O’Sullivan and Rui Saravia had five each, Abdul Oladipupo had four and Jamie O’Sullivan three.
For the Titans Declan Gbinigie had 22, Michael Hayes 19, Charles Pepin 18 with Matthew Sweeney and Joseph Coughlan on 11 each.
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