Rebel Wheelers make it seven IWA National Cup titles in a row

Rebel Wheelers secured the seventh IWA National Cup in a row, following a 62-47 win over South East Swifts at the National Basketball Arena on Friday night. Conor Coughlan scored 21 points for the victors on his way to claiming the MVP. 

It was a tight opening quarter, with Rebel Wheelers marginally ahead, 10-8 by the end of it, Adam Drummond scoring four of his teams points.

Jack Mangan’s basket in the opening seconds of the second quarter put South East Swifts in front for the first time, 11-10. And a little over a minute in they led 13-12 following Tadgh Buckley’s score, but that would be the last time they’d lead. It did remain tight in the quarter, a Patrick O’Neill basket with a little over a minute and a half to go saw South East Swifts trail 22-21. However Rebel Warriors finished the quarter strongly thanks to scores Drummond, Derek Hegarty and Dylan McCarthy helped then establish a 28-21 half-time lead.

South East Swifts kept themselves in contention, Joseph Hargow’s three saw them get within six points, 36-30, with five and a half minutes. But Rebel Wheelers would stretch their lead to 10 by the end of the quarter, 48-38, Conor Coughlan racking up 10 points in the the quarter.

Captain Jack Quinn brought the margin up to twenty, 60-40, follow his basket and Rebel Wheelers didn’t look back after that.

Speaking afterwards MVP, Conor Coughlan said: “I was sixteen when we won the first one, so seven in a row, it’s absolutely mental! We have a great team, the boys are unbelievable, coaching staff, everybody involved was absolutely amazing. We were missing Alan Dineen today, our head coach, he had some family issues pop up, so him missing drove us on – we wanted to do it for him. I know it’s seven in a row, but you don’t get sick of it, we get happier and happier and more excited and we want to keep going and motivating and getting better more and more. So yeah seven in a row feels absolutely amazing.”

Conor Coughlan, Rebel Wheelers, IWA National Cup final MVP

Quarter Scores:

Q1: 10-9, Q2: 18-12, Q3: 20-17, Q4: 14-9

Game Scores:

Q1: 10-9, Q2: 28-21, Q3: 48-38, Q4: 62-47

Rebel Wheelers

Jack Quinn (8), Paul Ryan (0), Oisin O’Connor (2), Derek Hegarty (4), TJ Lotty (0), Conor Simpson (0), Rory Motherway (0), Darragh O’Regan (3), Cathal Lynch (0), Conor Coughlan (21), Dylan McCarthy (14), Adam Drummond (10).

South East Swifts

Caoimhe Byrne (0), Liam Blake (DNP), Seamus Wall (DNP), Robbie Roche (DNP), Joseph Hargow (11), Jamie Strappe (DNP), Jack Mangan (12), Adam Homan (4), Patrick O’Neill (6), Michael Murphy (DNP), Sophie Denieffe (2), Tadhg Buckley (12)