Ballymahon VS win national basketball crown
Ballymahon VS 33 St Ronan’s College 29
Ballymahon Vocational School are the All-Ireland Schools U19 'C' Boys League champions, after edging out St Ronan’s College 33-29 at the National Basketball Arena yesterday (Tuesday).
After a tentative first quarter, which saw both sides struggle offensively, the game burst into life in the second quarter. There was nothing to separate the sides, as they went in at half-time level at 17 points apiece.
In the third quarter, a big three pointer from Ballymahon’s Brian Mulvey was the pick of the scores, which saw them lead their Lurgan opponents 28-23.
With less than two minutes to go there was just a point separating the sides, 30-29. A three-point jump shot by Jack Doran, with 1’37 to go, opened up a 33-29 lead for Longford school and that is how it would finish.
Ballymahon VS captain Jamie Brady was chosen for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, while Stephen Devlin of St Ronan’s College was the game’s top scorer, on ten points.
Top scorers - Ballymahon VS: Jamie Brady 8, Jack Doran 7, Oran Killian 7. St Ronan’s: Stephen Devlin 10, Conal McCann 6, Finn Creery 5.
Ballymahon VS: Eoin Kiernan, Brian Mulvey, Jamie Brady (captain), Jack Doran, Ben Callan, John McCormack, Aaron Doherty, Ryley Murtagh, Eoin Duffy, Oran Killian, Danny Ryan, Manuel Mateo. Head coach: Ben McCormack.
St Ronan’s College: Liam Carroll, John McAlinden, Tom Turbitt, Ciaran Maginnis, Liam Donohue, Stephen Devlin (captain), Sean McNiece, Conal McCann, Domhnall McConville, Maitiu McGibbon, James Donnelly, Finn Creery, Shaun McKenna. Head coach: Caroline McGrath.