Written by Lorcan Kelly
 

Killester B.C. Vs UCD Marian  | Irish Super League | IWA, Clontarf | [10/10/26]

Killester B.C. took the points in Clontarf but UCD Marian refused to go quietly in a match that showed plenty of character. Josh Wilson was dominant for Killester with 26 points.

Killester opened the game by hitting a couple of early threes. UCD Marian  answered by finding an advantage inside, with Tanner Graham getting a block and Alexander Graham grabbing two offensive rebounds. Killester kept shooting well, and back-to-back threes from Josh Wilson drew special defensive attention. Isaiah then produced an ankle-breaking move late in the quarter, one of the highlights of the night. Colm O’Reilly picked up a technical foul for hanging on the rim, before then stealing the ball and throwing it down again. Willson hit a demoralising and-one before the buzzer to put Killester up 29-23.

Killester started the second quarter with another Wilson and-one. Ronan Byrne’s good defensive effort and a three from Tanner Graham swung the momentum UCD Marian’s way, and Killester called a timeout with 6:30 left in the quarter. Unfortunately, after this the match began to slip for UCD Marian. Benjamin Ubakewe managed to block a three-point shot and a run of UCD Marian turnovers made the game scrappier. Two blocks from Stefan Desnica and UCD Marian  ending up in the bonus early helped Killester build an 8-point lead, and they went into the break 42-36 ahead.

Killester came out hot from three against UCD Marian’s zone, going on a 14-2 run. On the other hand, UCD Marian hit a cold patch missing good shots that would usually fall. Killester built a large lead with the score being 67-47 in their favor after three quarters.

UCD Marian refused to fold. Ronan Byrne scored 8 quick points to get the comeback going, and Isaiah chipped in with a three, a steal, a block and an assist in rapid succession. Killester however stayed hot from beyond the arc, and a couple of key offensive rebounds and blocks helped them hold on. UCD Marian drew the quarter 18-18 on the scoreboard, and while the gap was too big to close, the effort was there to the final whistle.