Tralee is the home of Irish basketball tonight after the Tralee Warriors swept aside UCD Marian for the second time in less than 24 hours to clinch the SuperLeague title in front of a raucous and adoring crowd at the Sports Complex.
The 88-73 win over the reigning SuperLeague champions completed a gripping and gritty league run for the Kerry side. They played four games in the last 2 week - including three against their main title rivals. Tralee overcame a 12-point deficit in the final four minutes to Marian last night in Dublin en route to a draining overtime win. That result effectively ended Marian's title aspirations, but Tralee still had to finish the job this evening. A capacity crowd was early to arrive and ready to witness history.
Tralee is basketball country 🏀🏀🏀 pic.twitter.com/qItsT0fdx8
— Mike Quirke (@Mike_Quirke) March 24, 2019
The result was never really in question. After the final whistle, pandemonium gripped the Sports Complex.
TRALEE ARE MEN’S SUPER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!!! Full time @warriors_bc 88 @UCDMarian 73 #ThisIsSuper @ballsdotie pic.twitter.com/nKM8nKPZLD
— Basketball Ireland (@BballIrl) March 24, 2019
CHAMPIONS!!! Darren O’Sullivan, @starryboy14 and @Fagal12 react to winning the Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League 🔥🏀🙌🏻💪🏻🏀🕺🥇🏆🥇🏆🥇🏆 @ballsdotie @bie_basketball #ThisIsSuper pic.twitter.com/wBR2oUNaQT
— Basketball Ireland (@BballIrl) March 24, 2019
Back in January, Balls.ie travelled to Tralee to meet some of the characters behind the team, ahead of the 2019 Hula Hoops Cup semifinals. It was obvious just how passionate Tralee people are about basketball. Celebrations will be running long into the night at the Greyhound Bar.
Road To The Final - The Tralee Warriors'We Were Like Boutros Boutros-Ghali Trying To Get Clubs Together, But It Worked'
Ahead of the Hula Hoops Ireland National Cup semi-final on Saturday, we explore just how the Tralee Warriors came about and just why making a National Cup final would mean so much to the club and the town.
#ShoottheHoop #HulaHoopsCupPosted by Balls.ie on Wednesday, January 9, 2019
