Depleted Portlaoise left empty-handed at Maigh Cuilinn

Maigh Cuilinn 73 ND 

Audit Portlaoise Panthers 58 

ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers find themselves deadlocked with Maree and Ulster University on 21 points at the top of the Men’s Division One National League after they carded their third loss of the campaign when they travelled to Maigh Cuilinn on Saturday night.

Having lost their hugely influential centre, Rich Ashu to a season-ending injury earlier in the month, Panthers were also shorn the services of Xabi Arriaga and Jayden Umeh for this trip west.

And even the best efforts of Michael Wallace and Davin McEvoy, who combined for 34 points and 12 rebounds, could not stop the Laois side from recording their lowest game-points total of the season so far against a Maigh Cuilinn side that ended this tie with three players in double figures, as Grant Olsson, Antonio Calvente and Ivan Basic totalled 52 points between them.

Apart from a brief 15-second period in the opening quarter, Portlaoise were always playing catch-up in this tie, Maigh Cuilinn opening proceedings with a deuce from John Hackett and a three from Calvente before the visitors got off the mark through Wallace with just over two minutes gone.

Olsson struck from both sides of the arc to help open up a six-point gap, before Panthers responded with a seven-point run that was concluded with a Kyle Burke bucket to edge them a point in front.

But Maigh Cuilinn quickly edged back into the lead compliments of Calvente, who drained another triple, and the hosts remained out in front from there on in.

Free throws from Liam Moloney and a bucket from Calvente helped see them end the opening quarter with the narrowest of leads (17-16), a McEvoy three and Kevin Donohoe’s brace from the free-throw line keeping Panthers very much on their opponents’ heels.

The home side again accounted for the opening five points of the second quarter as Ivan Basic’s deuce was followed up with an ‘and one’ by Olsson.

Wallace did resume the scoring for Panthers, but that was met by a triple from Rory O’Sullivan as Maigh Cuilinn extended their lead to 11 points, Hackett and Stephen Tummon picking up scores on the inside.

Yet, much-needed buckets from Wallace over the closing two minutes of the half, ensured Portlaoise remained in touch, as they trailed 35-27 at the break.

And Jack Scully’s side accounted for the opening six points of the third, McEvoy and Wallace landing scores down the lane to leave just two points between the sides before Olsson got Maigh Cuilinn motoring again almost three minutes into that period.

An eight-point run for the hosts soon followed as Olsson twice drained efforts from off the three-point line either side of a Calvente bucket.

Burke did halt that surge with a single from the free-throw line, but that score was met by a further seven points without reply for the hosts, as they move 16 clear.

Trevor Swayne and McEvoy did help pull back four for the visitors as they found themselves facing a 55-43 deficit heading into the final period.

But the Galway outfit were not about to afford their opponents a way back, Tummon and Basic enlarging the gap by three.

And, while McEvoy picked up two free throws and a superb three-pointer, Portlaoise struggled to ignite that much-needed surge, as Brendan Hardiman, Basic and Calvente landed daggers from downtown that ensured only a fourth win from 10 for the hosts in this season’s campaign.

National Cup takes centre stage this weekend, and with their interest in this season’s competition already over following their first-round loss to Limerick Sport Eagles in early November, Portlaoise head into a two-week break before they return to Division One action at home to Dublin Lions on Saturday 13 December.

MAIGH CUILINN: Rua O Cnaimshi, Antonio Molina Calvente, Grant Olsson, Ivan Basic, Brendan Hardiman, Rory O’Sullivan, John Hackett, Liam Moloney, John Hynes, Dylan Cunningham, Stephen Tummon, Luka Simovic.

Top Scorers: Grant Olsson (22), Antonio Molina Calvente (16), Ivan Basic (14).

ND AUDIT PORTLAOISE PANTHERS: Brayan DeSouza, Dylan Dunne, Michael Wallace, Conor Byrne, Trevor Swayne, Davin McEvoy, Kevin Donohoe, Love Omoijade, Kyle Burke.

Top Scorers: Michael Wallace (19), Davin McEvoy (15), Kyle Burke (8).