Coughlan plays crucial role again

Basketball National Cup finals: Shane Coughlan repeated his heroics from last year's final to ensure the UCC Demons overcame local rivals Neptune in an enthralling battle at the National Basketball Arena, Tallaght, yesterday. However, this time it was a moment of defensive brilliance.

A DJ Harrison basket with 8.9 seconds left in overtime put them in front 85-83. Neptune came back down the court for one last attack with Stephen McCarthy in possession. However, Coughlan pick-pocketed his nemesis to send the blue half of Cork into hysterics. McCarthy immediately fouled him, leaving the game's Most Valuable Player with a pressure free-shot to copperfasten the victory.

For every hero, there has to be someone to play the villain. Unfortunately this role fell to McCarthy. Neptune's talisman had the chance to win the contest with 5.9 seconds of normal time remaining, only to twice fail from the free-throw line.

"It's like groundhog day here," said a jubilant Coughlan. "Extra-time and the very last second. I thought we were gone when Stephen McCarthy had two free throws. But thankfully, for us, he missed them. He is a great player but I am just delighted that we won it again. The bragging rights are unbelievable down in Cork. We'll now have them for years to come. We knew if we stayed close right to the end we would have the players to pull us through."

Neptune had the run of play in the opening skirmishes with an 11-point blitz from Kenny Gamble putting them into a 20-14 lead. Yet, Torrey Butler and Harrison pulled the Demons back into it, giving them a single-point lead at the interval (33-32).

Harrison really went up a gear in the third quarter as the Demons stretched the gap to 11 points, while the Gamble and Charron Watson influence began to wane.

Neptune were forced to look elsewhere for inspiration. It arrived in the shape of Gordon Fitzgerald. He nailed some special three-pointers, before Dave Langrell also hit a hot streak to leave them leading by one point entering the last quarter.

The American influence was undoubtedly massive. Harrison and Butler racked up 49 points for the Demons, while Gamble and Watson finished with 50 between them.

However, it was the Irish sub-plot that kept everyone on the edge of their seats. Watson finally levelled the contest at 76-all and seconds later he intercepted a wild pass from Coughlan, to supply McCarthy - who duly drew the foul from Tim O'Halloran. Unfortunately this day was destined to belong to his younger rival.

"The free throws themselves were only apart of it," said Demons manager Pat Rice. "The two clubs demonstrated why they are the two best in the country and why there is such a proud history and rivalry because no one was willing to give up. Again, cometh the hour, cometh the man."

UCC DEMONS: DJ Harrison 25, T Butler 24, S Coughlan 18, M Michels 10, B Clernon 6, T O'Halloran 3.

NEPTUNE: K Gamble 26, C Watson 24, D Langrell 13, G Fitzgerald 11, S McCarthy 7, M McGinn 2.

The UCC Demons also claimed the men's Junior title, defeating Killester 76-67, at the National Basketball Arena last Saturday. Niall Murphy, who finished the game on 25-points, earned the Most Valuable Player award.