Men’s National League Division One
Portlaoise 60 Neptune 101
Portlaoise Panther’s are still sitting bottom of Division 1A following a disappointing display against high-flying Neptune. It was their first league game in three weeks since their two point loss to UU Elks.
The game started in a flying fashion with both teams flying forward attacking the baskets, and it looked like Portlaoise were going to be up the game. Tim Stewart and Benny Carroll were controlling the game for the Panthers and there was a lot of confidence in the Portlaoise by the end of the opening quarter. Incredibly, Tim Stewart scored all of Panther’s first quarter 23 points.
He didn’t let up in the second quarter, flying out of the blocks getting some more baskets and dominating both defensive and offensive rebounds. Benny Carroll got his game following as well with a couple of baskets.
He was also finding Craig Scully, who was brought in to add extra physicality around the hoop, which payed off with him grabbing two quick baskets. Neptune finished strong, with the Panthers seemingly running out of steam in the final minutes of the second quarter, and they trailed 33-49.
The third quarter was were the Panthers began to lose touch with the Cork city side, who had Jarell Marshall and Adam Heaphy running the show for them. Roy Downey’s pin point shooting from medium and long range damaged the Panthers confidence and it allowed Neptune to open a commanding lead by the end of the third.
Tim Stewart, Craig Scully and Gedaminis Sevelis were the standout performers for the Panthers in the final quarter, which Stewart finishing with 30 of the Portlaoise side’s 60 game points. As impressive as he was, Neptune ran away with the game as a contest and pushed to a 41 point win. it was disappointing night for the Portlaoise club, who also seen their ladies fall to UCC Glanmire in the earlier game
PORTLAOISE PANTHERS: Jack Dooley, Gedaminis Sevelis, Benny Carroll, Kyle Burke, Tim Stewart, Craig Scully, Peter Duignan, James Phelan, David Glynn, Trevor Swayne, Dylan Dunne, Mantas Vilmas.
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