Maigh Cuilinn’s National League campaign took a tough turn on Saturday night at the University of Galway Sports Arena as they suffered an overtime defeat to Malahide, 76-71. Despite a promising start, Maigh Cuilinn struggled with an over-reliance on their star man Grant Olsson, whose 39-point display couldn’t secure the win in what turned out to be a tense, back-and-forth battle.

The game started well for Maigh Cuilinn, who led 19-17 at the end of the first quarter. Olsson shouldered much of the scoring load with 14 of those 19 points, while Malahide countered with a more distributed offense. The second quarter saw Maigh Cuilinn’s offense catch fire, adding 23 points to Malahide’s 14, pushing their lead at halftime. Olsson poured in another 16 points in the period, while youngsters Cian Walsh and Rory O’Sullivan each added three-pointers, but the team’s dependence on Olsson for points was apparent.

After the break, Malahide turned the momentum in their favor, outscoring Maigh Cuilinn 17-14 in the third quarter. Olsson, having worked tirelessly in the first half, scored just one point in the period, while young Walsh emerged with five points to lead Maigh Cuilinn’s third-quarter efforts. Malahide’s Oisin Rice became a key factor as the visitors chipped away at the lead.

The fourth quarter was a low-scoring affair, with Maigh Cuilinn managing only six points, while Malahide continued to close the gap. With three minutes to go, Malahide leveled the score, but despite several scoring opportunities, neither team could secure the win in regulation, sending the game to overtime at 62 points each.

In overtime, Maigh Cuilinn quickly took a six-point lead, only for Malahide’s star guard Romonn Nelson to take control. Nelson’s scoring and playmaking proved too much for the home side, who fell behind in the final minutes as Malahide clinched a hard-fought 76-71 victory.

Maigh Cuilinn Scorers: Grant Olsson 39, Cian Walsh 10, Antonio Molina 7, James Loughnane 5, Dylan Cunningham 5, Rory O’Sullivan 3, Sean Candon 2, Donagh McDonagh, John Hynes, Liam Moloney, Rhys Plower, Colm Davoren.

Next Games: Maigh Cuilinn head on the road to face Scotts Lakers in Killarney on Saturday, 16 November at 7:30 PM. Their next home game is Saturday, 23 November, when they’ll host Drogheda Wolves at the University of Galway Kingfisher, tipping off at 7:30 PM.

Some photos from the evening:

• Sam McDonald presenting the game ball (sponsored by PhysioWorks) to the refs.
• U10 Boys with the team.
• Nuark 3 Point Challenge; Jack Cleary (winner with his first shot) & Chris Hynes from our U15 boys.
• Winner of the Oranmore Pharmacy hamper; Mark Hynes (U20 player & John’s brother) with Greg Cleary

Categories: News