Limerick Sport Eagles 85
Maigh Cuilinn 95
UL Sports Arena – 21 December 2024

Maigh Cuilinn secured a vital 95–85 road victory over Limerick Sport Eagles at the UL Sports Arena on Saturday night, solidifying their claim to the fourth and final playoff spot in the Southern Conference standings. In a game of high stakes and fine margins, the Galway side’s composure in the closing moments proved decisive.

The contest was tight throughout, with 19 lead changes reflecting the closely matched teams. Eagles leaned heavily on their three-point shooting, connecting on 14 long-range efforts, but Maigh Cuilinn’s balanced attack and ability to adapt to Eagles’ defensive schemes ultimately tipped the scales.

Maigh Cuilinn burst out of the gates with a 14–2 run, stunning the home crowd and prompting an early Eagles timeout. However, the Limerick side quickly regrouped, erasing the deficit to close the first quarter leading 24–22. Eagles’ zone defence—a mix of 2-1-2 and 1-3-1 formations—initially disrupted Maigh Cuilinn’s rhythm, but the visitors gradually adjusted, exploiting gaps with sharp ball movement and inside-out play.

The second quarter followed a similar script, with both teams trading blows in a high-scoring period. Maigh Cuilinn edged it 25–24, taking a narrow 47–48 deficit into halftime. Youngsters Cian Walsh and Eoin Cleary (who were to combine for 16 points on the night) were instrumental during this stretch, combining for several key buckets, while Patrick Lyons, returning from injury for only his second appearance of the season, began to make his presence felt on both ends of the court.

Lyons was a standout performer, contributing 16 points while also taking on the primary defensive assignment against Eagles’ American star Alex Carlisle. Averaging over 27 points a game this season, Carlisle was held well below his season average in this one and will surely have nightmares of Lyons chasing him around off screens for some time to come.

The third quarter saw Maigh Cuilinn begin to assert themselves, outscoring Eagles 23–20. Captain Grant Olsson led by example, as did James Loughnane who did a super job of pushing tempo and attacking the gaps in the Eagles’ zone while providing some calm on the overall Maigh Cuilinn attack.

Heading into the final quarter, the game remained delicately poised, with Maigh Cuilinn holding a slim 70–67 advantage. Eagles continued to fire from deep, but their reliance on outside shooting proved a double-edged sword as Maigh Cuilinn began to control the boards and find gaps in the zone defence. Dylan Cunningham, one of the most experienced players on the Maigh Cuilinn roster (which one would expect given his extraordinary old age and blatantly evident receding hair line), played a pivotal role in the closing minutes. A crucial three-pointer, followed by a perfectly timed assist from the veteran, gave the visitors the breathing room they needed to see out the game.

Maigh Cuilinn closed with a 25–17 fourth quarter, pulling away for a well-earned 95–85 victory. With the win, they not only move ahead of Eagles in the standings but also secure the valuable head-to-head tiebreaker between the teams.

The victory sets Maigh Cuilinn up perfectly for a blockbuster home game on 28 December against the undefeated Limerick Celtics at the University of Galway Sports Arena. With the Southern Conference playoff race heating up, this festive fixture promises to be another thriller. If you are home for the Christmas – ask serious questions about your life choices if you don’t get yourself in to the Kingfisher for this 7.30pm Saturday night tip off.

Maigh Cuilinn Scorers: Grant Olsson 21, Patrick Lyons 16, Aitor Perez 16, Antonio Molina 15, Cian Walsh 12, Dylan Cunningham 5, Eoin Cleary 4, Rory O’Sullivan 3, James Loughnane 3, Liam Moloney, Donogh McDonagh, Rhys Plower.

Categories: News