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THE big Kerry basketball derby between Scotts Lakers Killarney and Keanes Killorglin drew a record crowd to Killarney Sports Centre on Saturday night and it was the visitors who emerged victorious to maintain their unbeaten record at the top of the national league table.

The Killarney venue was full to capacity long before tip-off with almost 1000 people in attendance. With Tralee Warriors also playing at home before another huge crowd, the message went out loud and clear to all other clubs that Kerry is the real hotbed in Irish basketball circles.

Following a closely contested opening half, the Killorglin side stamped their authority in the third quarter with the outstanding three-point shooting of Kevin Gray a significant factor in the victory. Gray was well supported by talented European players Daniel Jokubaitis and Ivan Bogdanovic and Killorglin’s advantage to have three quality foreign players on court at all stages throughout the match was a luxury that Scotts Lakers just did not have.

Exchanges were even from an early stage and a three-pointer from former Neptune Superleague player Ian McLoughlin helped Killorglin to a 7-4 lead after three minutes. However Killarney's Antuan Bootle was making his presence felt at both ends of the court and a three-pointer from him gave Scotts Lakers a 12-9 lead left with three minutes left.

Lakers enjoyed a very productive spell early in the second quarter racing into a 22-14 lead. Mark Greene was in outstanding form but Killorglin's foreign trio of Gray, Jokubaitis and Bogdanovic kept their side well in contention to trail 26-24 midway through the quarter. Ten points from Mark Greene in this quarter alone and notable contributions from Mihail Kapitanov and Justin Tuason maintained the Lakers challenge and it was a tied ball game at 36 points each at the half-time interval.

Not for the first time this season, it was in the third quarter where Scotts Lakers self-destruct button and capitulation kicked into force.
Killorglin duly capitalised with American Kevin Gray emerging as a real hero sinking four huge three-pointers. Gray, who actually failed to make the score-sheet in the first and final quarters, ended up with 14 points in the third quarter alone, the actual difference between the teams at the end of this period when Keanes Killorglin led 60-46.

The game looked effectively over at this stage but Scotts Lakers did manage a strong revival with Bootle, Greene, Kapitanov and Fitzgerald all hitting unanswered baskets as the home side cut the gap to trail 60-54 midway through the final quarter. However Killorglin responded well to the stop the Lakers comeback with the outstanding Jokubaitis leading the challenge. The talented Lithuanian hit 11 points in the final period to maintain a firm grip on Killorglin's advantage to eventually secure victory.

The winning margin was 11 points for Keanes Killorglin to leave them at the top of the table. Scotts Lakers, playing in their first season in the league after an absence of nearly a decade, will be anxious to get back to winning ways again after their recent losses. The Killarney side are free this weekend and are hopeful of strengthening the quality of the squad ahead of their next outing away to Letterkenny on October 28 before returning home again to Killarney Sports Centre on November 4 to welcome Galway Titans.
 

 
Above: Mark Greene, Scotts Lakers, under pressure from Daniel Jokubaitis, Keanes Killorglin, in the national league division one basketball clash in Killarney Sports Centre on Saturday night. Picture: Eamonn Keogh