Cup Quarter-Final win!
A superb performance from the U20’s led by Elijah Faapito sends Tolka to the National Cup Semi-final!
Final Score: Tolka 91-73 Limerick Lions
Half-time score: Tolka 42-41 Limerick Lions
Top Scorers: S.Badejo 22, E.Faapito 21, M.Kourouma 17, B.Curran 14
Starting five: A.Biffi (C), E.Farrelly, E.Faapito, M.Kourouma, S.Badejo
Top Performer: Elijah Faapito
With a cup semi-final place on the line, Tolka began the game extremely strong, determined to set the tone early from the start. It was Moustapha Kourouma who first got Tolka on the board with a strong drive to the basket. This was followed by 8 consecutive points from Sam Badejo who absolutely dominated in the paint tonight. The Twin Tower duo of Brian Curran and Sam Badejo snatched every possible rebound down low, constantly being a huge threat for Limerick. Elijah Faapito ran the show tonight, flirting with a triple-double with points , rebounds and assists. Not to mention the many steals Faapito obtained tonight! The key to the strong start to the game was Tolka’s defence. The key players from Limerick were identified and the lads did an astounding job to contain this talented men as much as possible. High intensity on defence forced turnovers which led to numerous fast-break finishes. Curran got 6 consecutive points in the paint of offensive rebounds which led Tolka leading 26-14 after the first quarter.
A poor second quarter, resulted in Limerick coming back from 16 to tie the game. Hot shooting from their wings and unforced turnovers from Tolka brought Lion’s back into the game. Three pointers from Lorcan O’Brien and M.Kourouma from the right-wing allowed for Tolka to maintain a lead heading into the second half. After a motivational half-time speech from coaches Kevin Ashton and Tom Kenny, the lads were ready for a strong second half. Tolka picked up the intensity on defence which once game forced Limerick into turnovers. Badejo , Curran and Ethan Farrelly were all found in transition for some easy buckets. Exquisite ball movement from the lads resulted in a nice corner 3 from Praise Ogunsakin and a wing 3 pointer from captain Ale Biffi. All of a sudden, Tolka found themselves up double-digits again and Limerick were forced to call a timeout. Sam Badejo’s 3 point bomb concluded a strong 3rd quarter performance from Tolka which saw the lads jump up to a 10 point lead going into the last quarter.
The fourth quarter was the Kourouma and Faapito show as the two lads completed dominated the game offensively. Faapito ran the offence to perfection and was continuously a major threat off the dribble. Faapito found Curran and Badejo numerous times in the paint with some beautiful drop off passes. Limerick couldn’t contain Kourouma’s strong drives to the basket. His long and quick strides make him a tough matchup for any defender. He made a beautiful coast-coast layup, finishing with his inside hand. This was followed by a clutch 3 pointer to put Tolka up 15. Sam Badejo had another poster dunk tonight, as he ferociously threw it down over his defender which got the crowd up onto their feet. Even Coach Brendan was left impressed on the sidelines! Ogunsakin’s tough inside finish and Eoghan Dawson’s sweet jumper sealed the deal for Tolka! Dawson now leads the country with a 100% field-goal percentage. Word on the street is that Dawson will not attempt a shot in the semi-final in order to keep his record in touch! Outstanding performance from the lads tonight, huge shoutout to Niall Bartley, Matthew Conlon, Tadhg Sanchez and Eoghan Dawson who provided some quality minutes off the bench!
We now join the NL men’s in the National Cup semi-final which will take place in Cork at the start of January. No time or date is confirmed , but we know for a fact that the National Cup semi-final weekend will be 7th and 8th of January. We hope to see as many people down in Cork supporting the two teams! The crowd was absolutely electric tonight, constantly cheering us on and giving us energy! We are extremely grateful for the support tonight!
Before the Christmas break, the U20’s have quite a few games. On Sunday, the U20’s take on Kubs in the Carroll Arena (Dublin League). The following Sunday, the U20’s face off against a strong Templeogue side in Tolka in the National League. Finally on the 21st the U20’s play Eanna in Tolka at 8.50!
A tough stretch off games which sets us up nicely for the semi-finals in Cork!
