Both Flexachem KCYMS and Garveys Tralee Warriors made it two wins from 2 in a double game weekend yesterday.
Flexachem KCYMS followed up Saturday night's win over EJ Sligo All Stars with a 93-85 victory over Templeogue last night in Killorglin.
While Garveys Tralee Warriors beat Killester 82-63 yesterday to make it 2 wins in as many days as well.
====
Warriors top of the Super League with three wins from three
Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League 2024/2025 – Round 2
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors 86
Templeogue 74
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors took full value from the first double-header weekend of the new season by lowering the colours of two of their keenest rivals, Templeogue and Killester, to take their place on top of the Super League table by virtue of points per game scored after three rounds of matches.
On Saturday night the Warriors got their first chance to show off their new signings and new McKeevers Sport playing gear in front of their faithful support and they didn’t disappoint with an 86-74 win over former arch rivals Templeogue. An MVP performance by new American point guard Marquavian Stephens and the performance of the young players James Fernane and Joshua Osayanrhion provided plenty for the vocal home support to applaud.
The Warriors led at the end of all four quarters and in truth were never truly threatened by Templeogue despite a stunning display of shooting by their Americans Tye Fagan who shot 38, and Immanuel Allen who fired in 27. A quick start from the Warriors with 10 unanswered points from Stephens and Daniel Jokubaitis gave the hosts a 15-5 lead midway through the opening quarter. However Fagan and Allen combined to bring the Dublin side right back into the contest to trail by just 20-17 at quarter time.
Gregorio Adon helped himself to an 11 point volley for the Warriors early in the second before young guns James Fernane with three and Joshua Osayanrhion with two spectacular dunks saw the Warriors lead 40-36 at the long break. Stephens, Fernane and Jokubaitis combined to help maintain the Warriors advantage early in the third but scores for Templeogue from Fagan and Allen kept the gap to single figures trailing by just 57-52 at three quarter time.
A scoring blitz at the start of the fourth quarter from Daniel Jokubaitis, Eoin Quigley and another 10 point volley from the outstanding Stephens spread the game out to double digits again. Templeogue continued to dig in with the ever elusive Fagan landing some audacious scores but late baskets from Greg Adon, Josh Osayanrhion and the peerless Stephens sealed the 86-74 win in the end.
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors: Marquavian Stephens 27, Gregorio Adon 21, Daniel Jokubaitis 9
Templeogue: Tye Fagan 38, Immanuel Allen 27, Jake Mullins 4
Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League 2024/2025 – Round 3
Killester 63
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors 82
Less than 24 hours later and the Warriors took the court at the IWA in Clontarf to take on another of their keen rivals, Killester. The Warriors produced arguably one of the best opening halves of basketball for some time to stun the Dublin side into submission by the halftime buzzer. From the tip off Rap Buivydas powered down the lane to land a statement ‘and one’ score, and by quarter time the Super League Young Player of the Year had 18 points to his name. Killester found their scoring touch from beyond the arc with former Warrior Paul Dick, Kason Harrell and Isiah Dasher all in range. However, major scores at the other end from Eoin Quigley with two and Daniel Jokubaitis along with a hat trick of baskets from Marquavian Stephens saw the Warriors lead 32-24 at quarter time.
The Warriors intensive defensive effort in the second quarter saw them limit the normally free-scoring Killester to just seven points. In offence the Tralee side were in irresistible form scoring at will from inside, outside and the free throw line with Quigley, Buivydas, Adon, Jokubaitis and Stephens sharing 24 points to give the Warriors a game winning 56-31 advantage at the half time break.
The intensity level of the first two quarters subsided in the second half as the scores dried up for both sides. But the Warriors had the heavy lifting done in the first half and added just 8 to their half time tally while Killester found their range albeit with tough scores and without their normal flair. Paul Dick, Harrell, Dasher and Baptiste Chazelas combined for 16 points to bring their score to 47 but the Dublin side still trailed by 27 going into the final quarter.
Early scores from Chazelas. Dasher and Ciaran Roe threatened an unlikely Killester comeback but a dagger three from Quigley put a stop to that gallop and by the time Stephens, Buivydas, Fernane and Joshua Osayanrhion combined the Warriors reached their final tally of 82 points. Killester landed a few late efforts from Paddy Sullivan, Eoghan Kiernan and Kason Harrell but in truth, the game had been decided a long time before the full time buzzer sounded.
It may be early days, but with the way the Warriors have started the new campaign, allied to the promise of the return to action of Ryan Leonard in the coming weeks and the fact that new signing Brandon Mahan is set to return to action next weekend, it is a decidedly promising opening to the season for the League and Cup champions from 2022.
Killester: Paul Dick 15, Kason Harrell 13, Isiah Dasher 9
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors: Rap Buivydas 23, Marquavian Stephens 17, Eoin Quigley 15
Next up for the Warriors is another trip to the capital to face another former arch rival outfit in UCD Marian. Tip off at the UCD Sports Centre in Belfield with tip off at 7.00pm.
====
Team Flexachem Killorglin’s 2nd home game of the new season tipped off on Saturday evening at 7.15 in the Killorglin sports complex, in front of a full house. Some early scores by Killorglin’s Beni Fungala and Nathaniel Powel got proceedings underway with Sligo Allstars showing some rustiness on what was their 1st game of the season, the score at the end of the 1st quarter was 16 to 12 in favour of the home side, but one felt that Killorglan should have put more on the board and that Sligo would imiprovw as the game went on.
Sligo put in a big 2nd Quarter, scoring 27 points to team Flexachems 16, with Sligo’s Oision o Reilly, Tom Child and their American Jonathan Brown making good contributions, while Jordan Blount, Eche Okeke and Beni Fungala were keeping the scoreboards ticking over for the home team. The score at the end of the 2nd Quarter was Team Flexachem Killorglin 32, Sligo Allstars 39.
Early 3pt and 2pt scores for Sligo in the 3rd Quarter pushed their lead out to 12 and the home team were under the kosh, but then Killorglin hit back with a 10-pt scoring spree without reply, with scores by big centre Nathaniel Powell, Eche Okeke and Beni Fungala. By mid-way in the 3rd a 3pt score Killorglins Eche Okeke had the sides level 47 all. Excellent defence by the home side saw them end the 3rd quarter ahead by 57pts to 50.
Sligo ran into team foul trouble early in the 4th quarter and with Killorglin scoring from the free throw line and consecutive dunks from Okeke and Fungala, saw the momentum swinging in the Launesiders favour. Brilliant defending again by Killorglin from the 5th to 8th Minute of the final quarter saw the score at 75 to 59, and the home win looked on. Killorglin went on to add another 10 pts to Sligos 11 which saw the game finish on score line of 85pts to 70pts. Best of the night for team Flexachem were Jordan Blount- 24pts, Eche Okeke-22 Beni Fungala- 20pts and Nathaniel Powell with 10Pts.
Team Flexichem Killorglin’s second home game of the weekend saw them up against Templeogue of Dublin on Sunday afternoon.
Killorglin’s big centre Nathaniel Powell opened up the scoring with an inside two, followed quickly by Benny Fungala's two and another two from Powell again. Templeogue then got off the mark with a three-pointer from Darragh Murray. Scores from Killorglin’s by Okeke Blount and Clay Laudine were matched by Templeogue American duo of Travis Fagan and Emmanuel Allen. Irish player Callum McGrail saw the quarter finish out-level at 20 points each.
The second quarter saw Team Flexichem score seven three-pointers, three each from their American duo Eke Okeke and Clay Laudine, along with one from Jordan Blount. This helped the home team to register a big 29 points in this quarter, with Templeogue scoring 19, leaving the score at 49-39 at the end of the second in favour of the Lowndes Sires.
A very good third quarter by Killorglin’s Okeke and two three-pointers by Killorglin’s team captain Liam Croke, along with scores by Jordan Blount, Benny Fungala and Nathaniel Powell saw Team Flexichem score 25 points in this quarter, with Templeogue American duo being the main contributors for their 20 points, leaving the score at the end of the third
quarter at 74-59 in favour of Team Flexichem.
Although Templeogue outscored Killorglin’s by 26 points to 19 in the fourth quarter, a good team motivation by coaches Wall and Buckley ensured that Team Flexichem had enough gas in the tank to see this game out. Final score: Team Flexichem 93, Templeogue 85.
Team Flexichem have now won their opening three games of the 2024-25 season and are in what is now their sixth season at the top flight of Irish basketball. It is their best start and sees them sit jointly on top of the Super League along with Tralee Warriors and Eanna of Dublin.
Top scorers on Sunday afternoon for Team Flexichem were Eke Okeke on 22 points, Jordan Blount on 20 points, and Clay Laudine on 20 points.
Team Flexichem’s next game will see them face their bigger challenge with an away game against reigning Super League champions Enna of Dublin next Saturday evening.
