BIG DERBY WIN!
A huge performance from the D2 Men sees Tolka come out on top in a thriller!
Final Score: Tolka 70-63 St.Vincent’s(1)
Half-time score: Tolka 34-30 St.Vincent’s(1)
Starting Lineup: A.Biffi, M.Fyne, O.O’Reilly, S.Badejo, D.O’Beirne
Top Scorers: O.O’Reilly 16, S.Badejo 15, D.O’Beirne 11
Coming to the game missing some key players, the D2 men knew that everyone had to step up majorly in order to secure the win. Fortunately, every single player stepped up which resulted in Tolka grinding out a crucial win. From tip-off tensions were high and it was Sam Badejo’s putback layup that put Tolka on the board. He followed this with a 3-point bomb. Once again, Badejo was a major offensive threat, scoring from 3 and the paint. His athleticism and long wingspan makes him a nightmare matchup for any D2 post player. St.Vincent’s profiting off Tolka’s lacklustre defence to start resulted in the opposition being able to get some backdoor cuts for some easy layups which kept them in the game. If it wasn’t for David O’Beirne’s masterful defensive performance tonight, we could have been talking of a different scoreline. The experienced vet used his IQ to be able to cover a lot of ground on defence and alter numerous shots. Huge props to the big man! Point guard Ale Biffi got quick 4 points to start. He was first found underneath the basket and with a sweet pump fake Biffi got his defender in the air and finished with a layup. Then coming off a screen , Biffi rose up to drill a midrange jumper. Misan Fyne splashed 3 huge 3-pointers tonight , 2 of them being in the first quarter. It was great to see him making it rain from 3 after coming up short on his first 3-point attempt. It showed how far his confidence has come and he’s really putting the league on notice now. Don’t leave Fyne open or you will be punished!! A strong first quarter from the lads saw Tolka up 21-17.
Tolka began the 2nd quarter looking for Tom Kenny in the post, who found himself with a mismatch. Kenny used his strength and aggressiveness to attack his defender numerous times . He left his opponent with no option but to hack him and send him to the free-throw line. Andy Quinn and Dami Abagun had huge performances off the bench. Being forced into roles they weren’t used to , both lads were extremely energetic and played a huge role for the team tonight. The standout performer off the bench was Moustapha Kourouma. Kourouma had an amazing game, providing the D2 men an extra ball handler and scorer which Tolka desperately needed tonight. To quote Coach Brendan , Kourouma had a “Breakout night”! Kourouma has been killing it this year with the U20’s so it was great to see him flourish tonight ! Just the first of many more great performances to come! The first half ended with Tolka being up 4.
The second-half started with Tom Kenny scoring an acrobatic layup in transition. David O’Beirne turned it on offensively, scoring 9 of his 11 points in the second half. Numerous times he punished his defender for leaving him open by draining some midrange shots. This included a jump shot at the end of the shot clock in which O’Beirne banked in. Brian Curran also had a nice performance off the bench. The big man provided huge energy as usual, running up and down nonstop and being a constant threat on the boards. It was nice seeing Biffi find Curran in transition for a layup to reward the hard-working big man. Going into the fourth, Tolka maintained a 4 point lead.
With a huge, derby win on the line, tensions skyrocketed at the start of the fourth quarter. A bunch of no calls from the refs on blatant fouls on both sides led to both teams becoming increasingly more frustrated. A few insults, some smack-talk, a small scuffle and hard fouls was seen from both sides. Maybe not the best basketball being played at times but tonight was definitely exactly what you would expect to see in a crucial derby game , with only bragging rights on the line. Tolka Ultra fans sure had an amazing time on the sideline, constantly heckling at the opposition and cheering the boys on. The fourth quarter was the Oisin O’Reilly show. In his second game back, O’Reilly has already shrugged any sign of rust and just when the team needed him the most, O’Reilly answered. 8 huge points in the fourth quarter were pivotal for Tolka’s fourth quarter run. Off the dribble, O’Reilly could not be stopped, draining multiple midrange shots off the dribble. His tough, contested fadeaway jump shot was a true masterpiece. If that wasn’t enough, O’Reilly put his strength to great use on a strong drive, completely pushing his defender out of the way and finishing with a layup. He then proceeded to remind his defender with a hand gesture, that was simply “too small”. This was followed by a clutch contested 3 point bomb from Biffi which drained the life out of Vincent’s. Clutch free throws from Kourouma, O’Reilly and O’Beirne sealed the deal for Tolka.
Two consecutive wins in our biggest rival’s gym, puts Tolka back up towards the top in the D2 standings. Although tonight was a great, hard-earned win that deserves to be celebrated, the lads know that there is still a long season ahead and that there is still a lot to improve on and consistency will be vital for Tolka as we continue to fight to get promoted back to D1! The D2 men are back in action next Wednesday as they face Ongar Chasers in Tolka at 8.50pm. Be there to support the lads in their last home game of the year!
