Ballina Braves extend winning streak as they blitz Cavan Eagles

In the last few weeks, the Moysiders had already breezed through the Preliminary Round of the National Cup, winning all three matches.

And on Saturday night, Ballina started their proper league campaign all guns blazing. A brilliant first quarter laid the perfect foundation for a win that was never even slightly in doubt. After the first ten minutes, Ballina led 35-13.

Especially their 3-point shooting was exceptionally good on the night, as Ballina scored 5/9 in the first quarter. Over the full course of the game, the Mayo men made 14 from 31 shots from behind the arc. A phenomenal 45% success rate.

And as turnovers were a bit of an issue for Ballina in previous games, this time they took care of the basketball and committed only 6 turnovers.

Top performer for Ballina was Miles Felletti who scored 34 points, shooting 12/25 on field goals. The Scottish international also grabbed 3 offensive rebounds, helping his team to second chance efforts. It was Felletti’s highest scoring game since he joined Ballina this summer.

His team mate Joseph Owens also had a brilliant performance. 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks were again proof of how important Owens is for Ballina on both ends of the floor.

Captain Mark Cunningham had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists, a solid double-double for the Ballina man.

And more good news: After sitting out the last three matches, veteran player Ronan McGarrity was back in action. He played for more than 9 minutes and contributed 8 points.

After three quarters, Ballina were firmly in the lead: 72-48. This allowed many of the younger players getting more game time under their belt. Conor Forkin and Joseph O’Boyle both added a two-point bucket.

Next up for Ballina is their Round One National Cup fixture against Carrick Cruisers, to be played on Saturday, November 7, in Ballina.

It will be a tough challenge, and the North Mayo men will be underdogs against the top team from Division One, one level up.