Portlaoise men head into Christmas with the perfect ten

Joels Dublin Lions 76 

ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers 93 

ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers head into Christmas with a perfect record of 10 and 0 in Men’s Division One after they eventually pulled away from a gritty Joels Dublin Lions team in Coláiste Bríde on Saturday night to secure a 17-point win that keeps them nine-points clear at the top of the North Conference.

Eric Anderson led the charge for the visitors with a season’s best game total of 30 points that included five three-pointers, while James Phelan and Davin McEvoy also inflicted some serious damage with a combined 35.

Both sides strung together runs in the opening quarter, but just four points separated them at the close of that period, Portlaoise edging 29-25 in front.

Kevin Donohoe, Phelan and Anderson had all put up buckets before Davin McEvoy struck from outside the arc as Panthers served up nine unanswered points in a spell of just over two minutes.

But a big three from Colin Bolger, followed by an Evan Cook deuce, helped keep the Clondalkin side hot on their heels.

Panthers accounted for the opening six points of the second quarter to push their lead out to 10, but again Dublin Lions fought their way back to within a solitary point of their quests, Bolger landing another from downtown, before Aran Lee, Aidan Igiehon and Cook also drained big buckets.

But just as the hosts appeared poised to overtake, Aleksandar Kovacevic landed shots from both sides of the arc before Anderson also weighed in with a big three that helped see Panthers open up a 57-45 cushion by the half-time interval.

Lee and Tiernan Howe chalked up the opening five points of the third quarter for Lions, but the North Conference leaders began to flex their muscles with a 10-point run that left 15 between the sides, Anderson, Kovacevic and Liam Kinsella all featuring in that surge.

Igiehon and Kevin Anyanwu were doing their utmost to keep Lions in the reckoning, but the Dublin side still had a 12-point deficit (70-58) to make up heading into the fourth and final quarter.

And that gap was only enlarged by six when both Anderson and McEvoy again struck from long range.

Igiehon did get the hosts moving again when he put up another deuce, signalling the start of an eight-point run that included buckets from Anyanwu and two free-throws by Cook.

But it was still a long way back for the Clondalkin side as Portlaoise kept them at arms-length over the closing four minutes thanks to buckets from Phelan, Donohoe, Anderson and Kovacevic.

Speaking after the full-time buzzer on Saturday night, Portlaoise head coach Jack Scully said: “I’m delighted to get to Christmas 10 and 0 in the league and with two wins in the cup.

“Tonight’s game was far more competitive than the score suggests. Dublin Lions kept coming back and we struggled big time with Aidan Harris on the boards, but we got the job done.

“I thought Eric Anderson was phenomenal with 30 points. It’s his highest game of the year.

“But, again, it was our defence. We hope to keep teams to in and around 70 and, if we can do that, we can do enough on the offensive end to get wins, and that was the case against Lions.” Next up for Scully and his unbeaten Portlaoise players will be the challenge of an Ulster University side looking to make it four wins on the bounce when they visit St. Mary’s Hall next Sunday.

“We have a tough home game against UUJ who have been steadily improving in the league,” said Scully.

“It will be a tough game, but we’re looking forward to getting back to St. Mary’s Hall having had five of our last six games away from home,” he added.

JOELS DUBLIN LIONS: Tiernan Howe, Colin Bolger, Michael O’Connor, Kevin Anyanwu, Arnas Mineikis, Aidan Igiehon, Conor Dikcius, Aran Lee, Evan Cook.

Top Scorers: Aidan Igiehon (24), Kevin Anyanwu (16), Aran Lee (12), Evan Cook (12).

ND AUDIT PORTLAOISE PANTHERS: Cillian O’Connell, Dylan Dunne, James Phelan, Eric Anderson, Davin McEvoy, Kevin Donohoe, Gary Morrissey, Aleksandar Kovacevic, Liam Kinsella.

Top Scorers: Eric Anderson (30), James Phelan (19), Davin McEvoy (16), Aleksandar Kovacevic (11).