By John McHale
[score]
[team1]Tradehouse Central Ballincollig[/team1][score1]94[/score1]
[team2]Sligo All Stars[/team2][score2]67[/score2]
[/score]
Tradehouse Central Ballincollig are Men’s Division One champions following a comfortable win over Sligo All-Stars at the Ballincollig Community School.
The scenes at the end of the game were incredible as Ballincollig players and supporters celebrated in style after completing their 19th consecutive win of the campaign and promotion to the Men’s Super League.
Speaking after the game coach Kieran O’Sullivan saluted his teams incredible season.
O’Sullivan said: “When we started this journey in 2018 the one ambition we had was to play in the Super League and thankfully that will happen next season after this win.”
Ballincollig also completed a hat trick of wins in the President’s National Cup and coach O’Sullivan is looking forward to challenge of playing against in elite league.
O’Sullivan added: “It’s going to be a lot tougher but I do honestly feel we have the nucleus of a decent side and hopefully it will come together for us.”
Ballincollig laid the foundation for their win with a superb first half and with Andre Nation, Inigio Ziabola and Dylan Corkery playing superb basketball they went in at the break commanding a 54-40 interval lead.
To be fair Sligo All Stars kept battling in the second half but Ballincollig always looked likely winners.
The General Secretary of Basketball Ireland Bernard O’Byrne presented the Men’s Division One trophy to the captain of Ballincollig Ciaran O’Sullivan.
Scorers for Tradehouse Central Ballincollig: A Nation 28, D Corkery 20, J Kelly 19.
Sligo All Stars: C Long 17, A Roma 16, J San Martin 9.
Tradehouse Central Ballincollig: C Murray, D Corkery, I Zabola, L O’Sullivan, D Fleming, C O’Sullivan, S O’Sullivan, C Blount, S O’Flynn, A O’Connor, J Kelly, C O’Connell, A Nation, I James.
Sligo All Stars: O O’Reilly, M Donnellan, B Berry, J McLoughlin, J San Martin, E Keogh, C Long, M Loda, S Snee, E Donaghy, Z Balogun.
Referees: M Thornhill (Cork), J Dooley (Portlaoise).