Saturday 2nd January, the first game of the New Year, and the JML Titans, Galway headed out on the road to play National League Div 1 Table toppers KUBS of Dublin.
The Kubs had inflicted a substantial defeat on the Titans at the beginning of the season when they came to Galway, and coaches Carolan and Coughlan, bolstered by their home win against Blue Demons, wanted to reverse that result away from home, and to establish momentum going forward with this fledgling side for the second half of the season.
The Titans had arrived early to support their u13 Boys team who comprehensively defeated their most hospitable guests, and used the opportunity to stretch and prepare for what was always going to be an uphill battle of “Big Heart, Hard Work” against the talent and experience of the Kubs!
The Galway side started well, and nailed everything in an opening quarter that was owned by Wayne Redmond, who hit three threes, a bank shot and boxed out like a 16 wheeler. Titans ended the first with a 30-20 point lead and left the Kubs shocked with their New Year start.
In the second quarter, a confident visiting team was met with a Kubs side who were struggling to come to terms with the spread and diversity of the points of attack from this tenacious, and ever improving Galway side. Eoin Coughlan nailed two threes, Dale Creaven followed with a pair of his own, Emmanuel Razza Saah weaved his way to the hole to cause panic and infighting in the Dublin squad, as Foley and Ingle couldn’t pull back the deficit but Eoin Chubb kept them in touch with the visitors. James Barry won some big rebounds and Kelvin did some headhunting on the offensive end on behalf of the Titans Big man Corey. Going into the dressing rooms at Half-time, the score was 52-38 Titans.
The third quarter picked up a gear and with the American for Kubs finding his range, and Eoin Chubb nailing everything. Their inside men backed down the smaller, lighter Titans, they began to narrow the gap. A full court press on Coughlan followed, but he kept his resolve to get the ball into the hot hand of the leagues highest scorer, Crey Starkey, who amassed a humongous 39 points and 29 rebounds on the night. Dale Creaven and Razza ran the floor and finished strong to the basket.
In the fourth quarter the Titans led by 13 points at one stage, but lost their point guard Eoin Coughlan to 5 fouls, with 7.5 mins on the clock just after he nailed an important two pointer from the free throw line, which made the home side switch out of their box and one.
The Kubs brought it back to 2 pts, and did this on three occasions. With the defence of Kelvin Atu and Razza on their american and Chubb, and Creave, Redmond and Starkey mopping up the boards, the Titans held their nerve and hit their free throws to win the tie 87-78 in a result that upset the entire league, leaving Maree on top, following their own win against Kestrels) and a humbled Kubs shaking hands with a Titans side with a new found respect.
Kubs 78 – 87 JML Titans
Corey Starkey: 39, Dale Creaven: 16; Emmanuel Saah: 11, Wayne Redmond: 13, Eoin Coughlan: 8pts, James Barry, Kelvin Atu.