Ballina make play-offs

Ballina make play-offs

CORMAC O’MALLEY

MERRY Monk Ballina are approaching the end of season play-offs in superb form, and they produced two brilliant performances over the weekend to claim second place in the Northern Conference. This ensures a home quarter-final at 7pm on St Patrick’s Day against St Paul’s, Killarney.
Merry Monk powered to a 102-83 victory over UCD Marian on Saturday night in Belfield, thanks largely to another tremendous scoring display from Orlando Melendez. The American top-scored with 31 points, while Robert Taylor and Scott Kinevane pitched in with 26 and 15 points respectively. That victory assured Merry Monk of the runners-up spot in the Northern Conference. At the same time Dart Killester were securing the Conference title with a win over Star of the Sea, so Sunday’s game between the top two had no bearing on the final table outcome. However, pride and a psychological edge ahead of the post-season games were to play for. With no love lost between the sides, a cracking match was in prospect, and that was delivered in style by both teams.
An exciting opening quarter was shaded by the Dublin side, who led 26-23 at the buzzer. Merry Monk trailed by eight points at one stage during the first quarter, but Paul Freeman (who recently had an operation on a broken nose and is now playing with an ice-hockey goalkeeper’s mask) led the revival and a tight second quarter was on the cards.
That came true, with both teams going for each other’s throats. Killester appeared to have the measure of the home side when they opened a nine-point gap midway through the quarter, but again they were reeled back in by a hardworking Merry Monk offence and defensive combination and the scored were all square at the interval.
A superb second half from Robert Taylor was the catalyst for Ballina’s storming second half, but it was not just the American who brought Merry Monk to an 87-76 victory. The whole team contributed 100 per cent to the win, with Jay Marriot landing 19 points. A resurgent Liam McHale showed some wonderful touches in the second period, and he finished with a tally of eight.
The news that McHale and the legendary Deora Marsh will be available for the play-offs should Merry Monk defeat their Killarney opponents next week has given the club a major boost. They certainly look in great shape to make up for last year’s misery and reach the league decider at the very least.
With home advantage such a bonus at this stage of the season, the renowned Ballina supporters will have to be in full voice to help their team reach Limerick and the post-season finale, where they would surely go in as one of the favourites following their astonishing recent run of form. Merry Monk have triumphed in 11 of their final 12 league games, and since the arrival of Melendez and the re-emergence of McHale, the Mayo outfit could yet have a lot more basketball left this season.
“Before this season started we had never won a double-header in the Superleague,” commented Terry Kennedy, who was recently named Coach of the Month for February.
“Now we have won three. Robert Taylor was just excellent for us again this weekend. He had 26 points on Saturday night against Marion as well as 13 assists and seven steals. He had another 26 points on Sunday.
“We are playing the best basketball in the country at the moment. Only for a slow start at the beginning of the season with a few poor performances, we would have held onto our conference title.
“I’m disappointed the fans didn’t get a Conference showdown game today, but a game next weekend will keep the guys focused on their jobs and what we need to do to win the league. We have beaten St Paul’s in Ballina in the league but this in now a knockout competition and both teams will be all out to win. I hope Dr Crokes have an injury crisis before the All-Ireland Club final and they call on some of the Killarney players, but whoever shows up next Saturday, it will be one great game for the fans.
Merry Monk would like to wish the St Mary’s Ballina team the best of luck in their All Ireland basketball final on Tuesday.