A strong start from Trinity Basketball last night was not enough to secure a win, after a much more physical Coolmine Cavs side left the students sweating over a playoff spot. Trinity currently occupy the final playoff position having played all their games, but last night’s 76-48 defeat means their passage is not yet secure after a run of poor results for the club.
Trinity started well last night. Using their energy and athleticism to their advantage, the students’ rebounding was strong and they drew a lot of fouls at the basket. But an inability to convert from the paint would plague the squad throughout the night, as Coolmine took a quick lead in the first quarter with a series of layups in traffic.
Manus Darby showed flashes of brilliance right from the start as Coolmine were forced to foul him on skillful drives to the rim, particularly cutting along the baseline. Konstantinos Koutsouridis displayed similar promise early on, out-rebounding a bigger team on the offensive glass and giving Trinity crucial second-chance points.
But Coolmine’s physical defence and heavy press proved too much for Trinity’s offence as they double-teamed key players and forced turnovers. On the other end of the floor, Trinity were quick to get over screens from their opposition’s big men, but it wasn’t enough to stop Coolmine’s hot streak from behind the arc as they shot their way to a 16-34 lead midway through the second quarter.
The second half was always going to be an uphill battle and despite scoring contributions off the bench, Trinity’s offensive players weren’t able to get going until it was too late. Following a number of early misses from deep, the Trinity guards were slow to shoot from distance throughout the game, with Coolmine players swarming the paint to foul, contest or block the offence.
Trinity’s defence continued to improve as the second half went on, with steals from Robbie Fidgeon-Kavanagh and Louis Siebenaler breaking up the flow of Coolmine’s offence. The pace of the game was pushed by both sides towards the later stages, as both teams’ guards looked to attack in transition. Trinity became clinical from mid-range as their opponents’ defensive efforts failed to keep up with the team’s brisk ball movement.
Darby re-entered the lineup with a few minutes to go, giving the squad another boost of energy late on. They kept it close throughout the second half, blocking shots and stopping open threes that had gone unchecked in the second quarter, but unfortunately it was too late for Trinity.
The game was decided by shooting, and Trinity seemingly failed to get into a rhythm early on, forcing their offence through the paint. Though there were some great finishes around the basket amid opposition defenders, it wasn’t enough to top Coolmine, who couldn’t miss from deep, despite strong contests from the Trinity side.
