Basketball

Match 1 – Pres Bray vs Ard Scoil Rathangan

The Pres Bray U19′s opened the Semi-Final Tournament with a hard fought & scrappy match against a tough Ard Scoil Rathangan team who didn’t allow Pres Bray to settle throughout the match.

The 1st quarter saw Andy Bartley & Lorcan Murphy score all 20pts for Pres Bray. Lorcan’s jump-shot from the top of the key & Andy Bartley’s speed on the inside  were proving unstoppable on offence. The Pres Bray defence was very slow to get into the match & Ard Scoil were able to run in multiple uncontested fast break layups. The score was level at 20pts each at the end of the quarter & Pres Bray knew that they had to play better in order to get their Semi-Final Tournament off to a positive start.

The 2nd quarter continued to be a very tight affair with both teams matching each other score for score. David Mackin got on the scoresheet with a strong drive to the basket, but it was Lorcan Murphy & Andy Bartley who again carried the scoring load for Pres Bray. Lorcan & Andy combined for 17pts in the 2nd quarter & gave their team a 1pt half-time lead in the match, 39-38.

After some stern half-time words from Pres Bray coach, Marie O’Toole, the Pres Bray team started the 2nd half with renewed vigour. Excellent team defence forced Ard Scoil into poor shots & bad passes, which Pres Bray were able to convert into pts on the fast break. Lorcan Murphy was fouled on a spectacular dunk & he converted the resulting free throw to extend the Pres Bray lead to 4pts. Reece O’Callaghan came off the Pres Bray bench to spark the defence & also score an important basket for his team. The intense defence played by Pres  Bray in the 3rd quarter helped the team take a 10pt lead into the final quarter on a scoreline of 58-48.

The final quarter saw Pres Bray begin to pull away from their opponents. Lorcan Murphy & Andy Bartley continued their hot scoring form, scoring 18pts in the 4th quarter between them. Another Dave Mackin score also helped stretch the Pres Bray lead. An excellent steal & score from Reece O’Callaghan was also a highlight of the final quarter for Pres Bray. Two free throws from Andy Bartley completed the Pres Bray scoring in the match & the final score finished 80-64 to a Pres Bray team who were delighted to chalk up their 1st win of the day, but knew that they would need to improve for their upcoming matches.

Pres Bray Scorers:

Andy Bartley 37pts

Lorcan Murphy 35pts

David Mackin & Reece O’Callaghan both 4pts each

U19 All-Ireland League Semi-Final Tournament:

Match 2 – Pres Bray vs Templeogue College

The next tournament match was a re-match of the Leinster Final, which Pres Bray had lost to Templeogue College in December. Pres Bray were determined to avenge their loss & came out in the 1st quarter playing some excellent basketball. Lorcan Murphy & Andy Bartley were again proving a handful for their opponents on offence, scoring 15pts in the 1st quarter. Luke Gorman also came alive on offence for Pres Bray & chipped in with 4pts of his own to give Pres Bray a 21-11 lead at the end of the 1st quarter.

Templeogue came back into the match in the 2nd quarter with some good outside shooting. Marc Lennon was driving Pres Bray on with some excellent fast break play to both create opportunities for his team mates, as well as score 4pts of his own. Ash O’Callaghan came of the bench for Pres Bray & provided instant offence for his team. Further scores from Luke Gorman & David Mackin ensured the Templeogue fightback was held in check & Pres Bray went into the half-time break with a 41-20 lead.

The 2nd half saw Pres Bray continue to pile on the pressure & scores from the dynamic duo of Lorcan Murphy & Andy Bartley helped Pres Bray push their lead to 15pts. David Mackin was controlling the defensive boards for Pres Bray & also added a score for his team with a strong drive to the basket. Dylan Terry came off the bench to add some height to the Pres Bray team & he made an instant impact in the match after getting fouled while attacking the basket & converting 1 out of 2 from the free throw line. A strong baseline drive & dunk from Lorcan Murphy was the highlight of the 3rd quarter for Pres Bray & the score going into the 4th & final quarter was 62-44 to a dominant Pres Bray team.

The final quarter saw Templeogue throw everything at the Pres Bray defence. The Pres Bray players showed tremendous fighting spirit & refused to allow Templeogue eat into the Pres Bray lead. Marc Lennon was playing some brilliant defence & this inspired his team-mates to up their games. Scores from Pres Bray U16 players, Shane Davidson & Dylan Terry were vital in maintaining the Pres Bray lead. Ash O’Callaghan showed some amazing open court skills to score 4pts & also 2 free throws to complete the Pres Bray scoring & give Pres Bray an 84-68 victory. The final match of the tournament against St. Fintan’s Sutton was now a winner take all encounter with a place in the All-Ireland League Final at stake. Unfortunately Pres Bray only had a 30 minute turnaround to get ready for their last match, which meant injuries & fatigue were now a concern for Pres Bray as well as their opposition.

Pres Bray Scorers:

Lorcan Murphy 34pts

Andy Bartley 17pts

Luke Gorman & Ash O’Callaghan both 8pts each

Marc Lennon 6pts

David Mackin & Shane Davidson both 4pts each

Dylan Terry 3pts

U19 All-Ireland League Semi-Final Tournament:

Match 3 – Pres Bray vs St. Fintan’s Sutton

The Pres Bray U19 team had to dig deep in their final tournament match against St. Fintan’s Sutton. Several Pres Bray players were carrying injuries into the match & within the 1st five mins of the 1st quarter, Pres Bray players were cramping up badly. Marc Lennon fought through the pain barrier to score 9pts in the quarter, including a big 3pt score to give Pres Bray a 5pt lead mid-way through the quarter. Lorcan Murphy was again the main scoring threat for Pres Bray & his 7pts in the quarter gave Pres Bray a 20-15 lead at the end of the quarter.

Cramp was again a problem for Pres Bray players in the 2nd quarter with Andy Bartley & David Mackin requiring treatment on the sideline during the quarter. Luke Gorman stepped up for his team & scored 6pts with a variety of moves to the basket. Ash O’Callaghan & Dylan Terry came off the Pres Bray bench to play some great defence & pull down vital rebounds as the quarter continued. St. Fintan’s were unable to take advantage of the Pres Bray fatigue to cut the Pres Bray lead & the halftime score stood at 32-23 in favour of Pres Bray.

St. Fintan’s had the better of the 3rd quarter with some excellent outside shooting helping them cut into the Pres Bray lead. Luke Gorman was again key in ensuring that Pres Bray kept the scoreboard ticking over in the quarter & that St. Fintan’s only got within 3pts of Pres Bray. The score going into the final quarter was 45-42 to Pres Bray & the outcome was still very much in the balance.

In the final quarter, the Pres Bray players showed tremendous grit & determination to battle through the injuries & fatigue that they had suffered earlier in the match & stretched their lead thanks to baskets from Andy Bartley & Marc Lennon. Luke Gorman was fouled out with 4 mins left to go in the quarter & rather than knock Pres Bray out of their stride, it seemed to inspire the players to even greater heights. A David Mackin score & free throws from Lorcan Murphy & Marc Lennon saw Pres Bray close out the match & the final score was 60-52 to a delighted Pres Bray team. Pres Bray now move on to an All-Ireland League Final against St. Malachy’s Belfast, which will take place in the National Basketball Arena, Tallaght in the week beginning Mon 18th March.

Pres Bray Scorers:

Lorcan Murphy 20pts

Marc Lennon 14pts

Luke Gorman 12pts

Andy Bartley 10pts

David Mackin & Ash O’Callaghan both 2pts each

The Pres Bray U19 Basketball Team