24 teams from all over Ireland descended on Cork on Saturday for the annual Cork County Board U16 Tournament. Maigh Cuilinn’s U16 boys made the trip south for an action-packed day of basketball, delevering a series of gritty, high-energy performances.

The day began with an early start and an opening game in Blarney, where Maigh Cuilinn secured a confident 44–33 win over Cobh. Next up; Belfast Star, a familiar opponent from previous tournaments. Despite a determined effort, the boys couldn’t close the gap and fell 40–27, finishing a solid second in their group.

Progression to the knockout round one produce one of the highlights of the day: a showdown with Neptune – in Neptune Stadium. A superb, relentless defensive press put the hosts under pressure from the opening tip. Despite a shaky second quarter, Maigh Cuilinn rallied strongly and claimed a memorable 45–36 win.

With only ten minutes to regroup before the quarter-final, the boys faced local rivals Titans. An explosive 8–2 start from the lads showed their intent, but the effects of a high temp style of basketball constant start to show with fatigue creeping in. Titans rallied and took the lead. True to form, Maigh Cuilinn mounted one more fourth-quarter surge, trimming the deficit to six, but ultimately fell short 43–34 in a fiercely contested battle.

The game was played at a tremendous pace and in excellent spirit, with credit due to both teams and officials for a high-intensity spectacle.

Maigh Cuilinn now turn their attention to their next regional outing in Portlaoise on December 20th, where they’ll meet two Dublin sides — Raiders and Swords — in what promises to be another exciting test.

Back row L-R: Seamus Hayes, Conor Cormican, Henry O’Toole, Jack Cleary, Lee Keane, Noah Griffin
Front row L-R: Daniel Corcoran, Eabhan Walsh, Finn O’Reilly, Chris Hynes

Categories: U-16 Boys