UCD Marian travelled to Cork on Saturday night to take on Neptune. UCD played their last home game of the season last Thursday and despite being out of the playoff race, they came out on top in style beating Ulster Elks 100-83.
However it was Neptune’s second half burst of energy that disrupted UCD forcing several turnovers and creating a tempo that the students could not sustain. The game ebbed and flowed throughout the first half, with Ger Noonan coming off the Neptune bench to make an immediate impact.
Noonan’s ten points in the first quarter were nearly equalised by the work rate of Neill Baynes for Marian, whose three buckets and a pair of free throws gave Marian an early 6 point lead, but the quarter finished level at 22.
Juwann James established himself further in the second quarter, dropping ten points from a combination of powerful post moves and a pair of jump shots. Luke McCrone, who has been a rock throughout the year, answered for the visitors, scoring five from the charity stripe. Three scores from Michael Higgins off the bench kept UCD fighting, and the two sides went to the dressing room level at 43.
The third quarter began in a flurry of forced turnovers and fast break scores for the home side. Mark Mitchell and Juwann James controlled the boards and interior scores, and Ian McLaughlin’s speed came to the fore. Conor Meany stemmed the tide with two baskets for Marian. Neptune trapped repeatedly and forced the tempo of the game. James picked up his third foul and went to the bench, but the introduction of 7’3 Jason Bennett turned the game on its head. Bennett swatted a remarkable 7 shots at the back of the Neptune matchup zone, and altered countless others throughout the second half. He also displayed power around the basket, finishing with 12 points, but it was his defensive presence that helped hold UCD to a single basket in the final ten minutes of the contest, a lone three by Luke McCrone. Kevin Reddy and Gary Walsh drilled three pointers to close off any notions of a comeback. The 22-3 run in the fourth quarter was fuelled by the Cork side’s bench, as they contributed 41 points for the second straight game.
UCD Marian end the season on a disappointing note, but they have a young talented team that will contend for honours sooner rather than later. Neptune finish the regular season on Sunday afternoon with Moycullen, winners of two straight. The Galway side travel to Cork to close out their season, while a win for Neptune would see them lock up a home quarterfinal in next weeks playoffs.
