Limerick Celtics win first ever InsureMyHouse.ie U20 Men’s National Cup title

Limerick Celtics have won their first ever InsureMyHouse.ie U20 Men’s National Cup title, defeating Titans 77-65 at the National Basketball Arena on Saturday morning.

Tony Hehir’s side raced out of the blocks and led 20-6 at the end of the quarter, Dennis Matthews with 7 points in the quarter for Celtics.

The second quarter was a role reversal, as Titans clawed themselves back into it. A 10 point run got the Galway outfit within three points, 23-20, four and half minutes into the quarter, thanks to two Declan Gbinigie baskets, a Laim Conaola’s basket and resultant free throw along with Matthew Callaghan’s three. They’d trail 31-28 by half-time. 

Limerick Celtics again had a fast start to the third, Matthew Barry was finding his range and unleashed two long range jump shots to help propel them to a 15 point lead, 45-30 four minutes in the quarter. Barry would help himself to 11 points in the quarter and would finish the game with 23 points, on the way to earning the MVP. 

Titans tried to keep themselves in the shake up, Eoin Potitio came off the bench to land a three with three minutes to go in the third, but his side still trailed 47-33 and would be 54-37 behind by the end of the quarter.

Titans got the opening basket in the fourth through Fortune Igbokwe, but Limerick Celtics weren’t to be caught, Cian Gleeson’s three point jump shot from the corner three minutes in had them 59-41 up. Another three point jump from Martin Frawley and the lead was 22 points, 66-44, with less than four minutes to go in the contest. A comeback from Titans wasn’t to emerge, a three from the corner by Phillip Kearney in the final minute to move them 75-60 ahead was greeted by a loud cheer from the Limerick Celtics fans behind him who knew it was to be their day.

MVP Matthew Barry said: “It feels great to be back here again, we won the U18’s last year. We knew that Titans would be a tough game, but we realised if we stuck to our game plan, we went into the zone and we started hitting our shots and when they had to come out of their zone they couldn’t stop us really.”

Oliver Barry,  Limerick Celtics , celebrates after his side win the InsureMyHouse.ie U20 Men's National Cup

Limerick Celtics 77–65 Titans 

Quarter Scores:

Q1: 20-16 , Q2: 31-28, Q3: 54-37, Q4: 77-65 

Limerick Celtics:

Cian Gleeson, James Corcoran, Stephen Redmond, Matthew Barry, Daniel O’Toole, Philip Kearney, Tom Kavanagh, Dennis Matthews, Oliver Barry, Con Kirby, Sean McNamara, Martin Frawley, Colm McCarthy

Head Coach: Tony Hehir  

Top Scorers: Matthew Barry 23, Cian Gleeson 18, Philip Kearney and Dennis Matthews (both 13)

Titans:

Viktor Tashev, Stephen Owede, Eoin Hardiman, Senan O’Leary, Matthew Callaghan, Jason Nwose, Daniel Baeck-Herke, Eoin Potito, Declan Gbinigie, Fortune Igbokwe, Sam Cassidy, Liam Conaola

Head Coach: Jack Considine

Top Scorers:  Declan Gbinigie 21, Fortune Igbokwe 17, Daniel Baeck-Herke 7