Basketball Ireland Development League – Plate Final
Dublin Raiders 83
Mayo Meteors 78
At NBA Tallaght
Hot on the heels of lifting the LLR title a week previous, Mayo Meteors fell agonisingly short of completing a national double on Friday night last, after an incredibly close game against Dublin Raiders in the Plate Final of the Basketball Ireland Development League.
The teams had been deadlocked at the end of the first quarters while Mayo Meteors actually held a three points half-time advantage – having at one stage actually led by seven – but trailed by six at the end of the third only to regain the lead during a thrilling final quarter.
Ultimately though, a calm and controlled climax by the Raiders – Dublin by name, but actually based out of Bray – was the final undoing of the Terry Kennedy-coached side who sorely missed the suspended Matthew McHale who had been a valuable source of scores throughout the season.
The victory completed a double for Dublin Raiders whose women’s team had earlier that evening claimed the BIDL Women’s Plate.
This was a game of high quality and as already referenced, there was little or nothing between the sides throughout. Game MVP Shane Davidson had a big opening quarter, grabbing half of all the points for Dublin Raiders, while Hermann Hyle downed 13 for Mayo Meteors. The first period concluded with the teams inseparable at 28 apiece.
The second quarter followed a similar pattern, Mayo Meteors went ahead by seven points, 46-39, with just under three minutes to go, following Alex Evans’ three pointer. But Dublin Raiders closed that gap to three, 50-47, by end of the quarter thanks to Andy Bartley’s jump shot with the last play of the half.
Roscommon native Paul Freeman, who won last year’s InsureMyHouse.ie National Cup with Maree, started to dictate play in the third quarter, and his basket had Mayo Meteors 62-56 up with three and a half minutes to go in the third. Once again, Dublin Raiders brought it back level, at 62-62, with two minutes to go, following back-to-back threes by Goderdzi Patsia. The Bray club would lead by six, 69-63, at the end of the quarter, helped by a Davidson buzzer-beating three.
But Mayo Meteors turned it around in the fourth, a three from Evans, which was his fifth of the day, four minutes into the fourth quarter brought his personal tally to 20 and the men from the west led 73-70. A minute later Mayo Meteors suffered a significant blow however, when they lost Hermann Heyl after he picked up his fifth foul. The former UCD Marian player had scored 20 points at that stage.
Five points from Shane Byrne, either side of a Freeman basket, had Dublin Raiders marginally ahead 78-76, with four and a half minutes to go. With two minutes to go Mayo Meteors got within two points once more, trailing 80-78, following James McManamon’s basket. But Dublin Raiders managed to prevent their opponents scoring after that, picking up some free throws while doing so, to round out an 83-78 win.
Dublin Raiders (top scorers in brackets): Neil Curran, Shane Davidson (25), Derek Bracken, Kevin O’Neill, Inarts Vitols, Ryan Pepper, Andy Bartley, Neil Doyle, Shane Byrne (18), Goderdzi Patsia (19), Brendan O’Neill. Head Coach: Sean Ingle.
Mayo Meteors (top scorers in brackets): Alex Evans (20), James McManamon, Dan Hyland, Stephen Crowley, Paul Freeman (22), Colin McNicholas, Hermann Heyl (20), Sean Fallon. Head Coach: Terry Kennedy.
