Portlaoise cruise past Carrick to keep unbeaten National League run intact
Rich Ashu lead the charge as Portlaoise Panthers had a great win on the road getting the better of Carrick Cruisers Photo: David Maher
Basketball Ireland Men’s Division 1
Carrick Cruisers 77
ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers 97
ANOTHER big display by centre, Rich Ashu went a long way to seeing ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers keep their unbeaten National League run intact, as they emerged comfortable winners over Carrick Cruisers in the Phoenix Centre on Saturday night.
The newly-acquired Rich Ashu carded an impressive double double of 32 points and 10 assists, while also mopping up eight rebounds, as Portlaoise made it three from three in Division One, Mike Wallace and Xabi Arriaga also contributing significantly to that victory with a combined 39 points and 13 boards.
Carrick did finish with four players in double digits, Andrew O’Connor the most prolific of those with 27 points, but even that impressive return was not enough to see them upset last season’s National League and Cup finalists.
“We’re delighted to get another victory on the board,” Portlaoise head coach, Jack Scully told the .
“Road wins are always hugely hard fought for in the National League and we’re grateful for every one we get. Rich Ashu was absolutely huge for us tonight. He’s really been coming into his own over the last couple of weeks.
“But it was a big team effort. Defensively, I thought we kept their threats under control for the majority of the game and our experience came out on top in the end,” he said.
Certainly Ashu was proving a huge headache for the hosts right from the off, draining every one of his seven attempts for a haul of 14 points that saw Panthers open up a lead of 13 by the close of that period.
While Keon Edwards did draw first blood for Carrick with a deuce, Portlaoise responded with 10 unanswered points, Ashu accounting for the initial six before Wallace and Dylan Dunne also got in for buckets.
Timely threes from O’Connor, Angelo Bumatay and James Aboaba helped see the home side reduce their arrears to four, but Panthers got motoring again with scores from Wallace and Ashu ahead of a seven-point run that featured a superb effort from beyond the arc by Xabi Arriaga, as the visitors took a 32-19 advantage into the second quarter.
Carrick did account for the opening four points of that period, O’Connor converting two free throws before Edwards struck from the floor.
But Ashu continued to inflict more damage in the paint, while Kevin Donohoe and the young Jayden Umeh landed sublime buckets from downtown to help see Jack Scully’s side extend their lead to 20 points (58-38) by the half-time recess.
And they refused to let up in the third, Ashu punishing again under the board before Arriaga landed another bomb for three to enlarge the gap to 25.
Aboaba got Carrick going again with a deuce that was later followed by three from Edwards, but the scores were too few and far between for the hosts to fuel any real prospects of threatening their opponents’ hold on this game.
Wallace, Dunne and Arriaga continued to prove difficult to shut down off the three-point line, while Ashu picked up another six points inside as Portlaoise ended the third with an 80-57 cushion.
That gap afforded Scully the opportunity to give some time on the floor to young guns, Justice Iheme and Love Omoijade, the latter picking up four points down the stretch that will certainly do his confidence no harm.
Carrick did manage to edge the last quarter by three, but it was not nearly sufficient to deny Portlaoise a third win of the campaign, Arriaga and Wallace helping to keep them well out of reach with their combined 11, while Kyle Burke also got in for a bucket.
The result means Portlaoise are one of only two teams in this season’s Men’s National League with a zero still in the loss column, and Scully will be hoping his side can keep it that way when they go back on the road for the third straight weekend to take on Killarney Cougars in Presentation Gym next Saturday.
“I’m looking forward to Killarney next week,” remarked Scully. “Again, another away game and another long day on the road. I’m sure it will be a tough fight, but, right now, we’re delighted to get another win on the board and remain unbeaten,” he said.
CARRICK CRUISERS: Theo McMahon, Ben Kelly-Flynn, Turlough O’Hanlon, Alex McVicar, Tyler Mutemasango, Angelo Bumatay, Andrew O’Connor, Regimantas Narbutas, James Aboaba, Keon Edwards, Vitalijus Kaminskas.
Top Scorers: Andrew O’Connor (27), Tyler Mutemasango (14), Keon Edwards (13), James Aboaba (11).
ND AUDIT PORTLAOISE PANTHERS: Dylan Dunne, Michael Wallace, Jayden Umeh, Trevor Swayne, Davin McEvoy, Kevin Donohoe, Rich Ashu, Xabi Arriaga, Love Omoijade, Kyle Burke, Justice Iheme.
Top Scorers: Rich Ashu (32), Michael Wallace (20), Xabi Arriaga (19), Kevin Donohoe (7).
