Basketball Ireland Super League

Belfast Star 97 Maree 87

Super League leaders Belfast Star bounced back from their National Cup exit when they slugged out a thriller against Southern Conference leaders Maree of Galway to now make it 10 league wins on the trot.

The final margin may have been in double digits but this was a game of nip and tuck throughout until a magnificent 12-point salvo from Star captain Conor Quinn in the final minutes finally brought the home side over the line. 

With De’Ondre Jackson’s free-throws having levelled the score at 88-apiece, Quinn first nailed two-massive three-pointers before adding a further six from the foul line to keep fortress La Salle intact once again for Adrian Fulton’s side.

Quinn’s blitzing performance in the dying moments ultimately proved too much for the valiant Galway visitors who had previously come out on top in their battles with Star during last season.

But this is a Star side who, having strengthened the squad wisely over the summer, have now significantly increased the grit and determination they had already been showing in recent years.

Tamyrik Fields was again on fire for the hosts, emerging from this clash with 37 points, 25 of which came in a towering first half performance. De’Ondre Jackson and Conor Quinn had a combined tally of 40 – 21 and 19 respectively.  

Right from the start of this one, scoring remained tight throughout. Overall, the sides were level 11 times and the lead changed hands on no less than 19 occasions during the course of this pulsating affair. 

By half-time, Star had edged their way to a seven-point lead, 53-46. Maree, however, came back strongly in the third and took the quarter by six to leave it a one-point game going into the final ten minutes, Star ahead by the minimum, 69-68.

Two points from veteran Eoin Rockall sent Maree ahead in the first minute of the fourth. The sides then continued to swap the lead as the minutes ticked away and the home crowd were increasingly nervous for Star’s home win record. Could Maree be the side to finally burst the La Salle bubble, they wondered.

With just over five minutes to go, the sides were tied at 77-apiece for a long passage of play before Max Richardson nailed an offensive rebound and hit two points to break the deadlock for Star. Maree, however, hit back immediately with a three from Tom Dumont. Game on, once again.

By the time it got to 88-apiece, nerves were practically shredded among the crowd. Then up stepped Conor Quinn with the three-pointer that gave some relief to the home support for just a moment because two free-throws for the visitors brought the game straight back into the melting pot.

It was Quinn’s second three-pointer that proved to be the turning point for Star. It sent the home side four ahead with just a minute left. Star’s defence then proved their mettle, holding Maree at bay before a subsequent steal from Conor Quinn and a string of free throws from the captain saw Star over the line.

“I think tonight's game was a tremendous advertisement for the Men’s Super League” said head coach Fulton after the game. 

“Two very good teams went toe to toe for 40 minutes and, given the way they bettered us last season, this was a big win for us. 

“There was great fighting spirit throughout the side and of course Conor Quinn played a true captain’s role. He was brilliant once again, as was the terrific home support.”

This weekend, Star travel to Dublin to face another of this season’s top performers – Éanna. The game tips at 7pm on Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, Garvey’s Tralee Warriors were pushed all the away by a Jalen Hodge-inspired Ulster University, but emerged with an 87-82 victory in which Jarvis Doles sank 20 points and chalked up 11 rebounds while team mate, Ryan Leonard hit 22.