St. Paul’s Killarney take U20 Men’s National League Plate honours, with a 78-65 win over Templeogue

St. Paul’s Killarney secured the U20 Men’s National League Plate, thanks to a 78-65 win over Templeogue at the National Basketball Arena on Saturday. Eoin Carroll was dominant in the paint for St. Paul’s Killarney, helping himself to 26 points and 16 rebounds, a performance which saw him awarded the MVP.

Templeogue got into an early 4-0 lead after scores by Jacob Fazande and Tyrone Gonga. St. Paul’s Killarney were 13-8 up with two minutes to go in the opening quarter after Mark Sheehan’s three and would be 17-12 up by the end of the quarter.

Sheehan was proving potent from the three point line, his third of the game in the closing stages of the second quarter helped hand St. Paul’s Killarney a 41-28 lead at the half-time break.

St. Paul’s Killarney continued to build on their lead and midway through the third quarter they made it a 16-point game, 48-32, following Carroll’s basket. Templeogue closed the deficit to 10 points, 51-41, following Gian Cabello’s three with a little over a minute to go. But any sense of a momentum shift in the game appeared to be extinguished following a shotclock buzzer beating three by St. Paul’s captain Sheehan, to hand them a 56-45 lead, the score met by a loud response from their supporters.

A driving layup by Shane Daly – who’d finish the day with 18 points and seven rebounds – had St. Paul’s 68-53 up with four minutes to go. Templeogue tried to haul themselves back into it but to no avail. A three from the top of the arc by Sheehan – his sixth of the game - with two minutes to go made it 71-55 to St. Paul’s and brought his personal tally to 20 points in the process and it was to be County Kerry club’s day.

Quarter Scores:

Q1: 12-17, Q2: 16-24 Q3: 17-15, Q4: 20-22

Game Scores:

Q1: 12-17, Q2: 28-41, Q3: 45-56, Q4: 65-78

Templeogue:

Tyrone Gonga (12), Gian Cabello (5), Wilfred Omorusi (11), Kareem Matonmi (0), Jake Mullins (4), Liam Egan (5), David Dowling (0), Alexandru Cristian Puiu (0), Joshua Fazande (0), Adam Tighe (2), Jack Finn (6), Jacob Fazande (20)

St. Paul’s Killarney:

Shane Daly (18), John Hughes (2) Oisin Spring (0), Cian Forde (0), TJ O’Sullivan (DNP) Adam Whitty (0), Eoin Carroll (26), Cathal Spring (0), Dara O’Sullivan (0), Chris Healy (3), Mark Sheehan (20), Jack O’Sullivan (9)